Starcatchers
by Reily96
Summary: AU - A witch and a swordsman-in-training. Each has one wish they want granted desperately. Their fates are strung together when news of a fallen star has arrived... but can they find it before it falls into the wrong hands? Zelink
1. The Fallen Star

I have no sooner started a sequel to a story then I get another idea and start writing _another _one. Anyways, I originally planned for this story to come out after I was finished with "Trials and Tribulations", but apparently it wanted to come out now. D: Anyways, another original story and my first AU. I actually got the idea for it earlier today and it just wouldn't leave me alone. I could immediately tell you that part of my inspiration for this came from the movie _Stardust_. It's an amazing movie and better than the book, in my opinion, but about the only hing they'll have in common is that the fallen star is a person.

Anyways, I've not decided an update schedule. This will be a free schedule story since I'm already working on another one that takes precedence over this one. When T&T is finished, then I'll come up with a formal update schedule for this one. If not, then I'll alternate between stories. I'm still in the air about it, but I just wanted to get this off my back now.

As always, my first chapter is an itty-bitty little thing. For that I apologize. You'll get another update tomorrow.

* * *

_"Flickers in the night sky, giving light in the darkness… those are the stars. They are the mysteries of the heavens and some Hylian legends would say that some stars are actually magically beings. Not all of them, of course. If they were all magical beings then star showers would probably be very strange events. No, no, the magical star beings are rare and brighter than normal stars… and once every five hundred years a star being falls to the earth. In order to get back to their home in the heavens, the star being must grant one wish to a person._

_Of course, that's a legend you know. Whether you want to believe or not is up to you. You should probably figure it out fast, too. It has been five hundred years since the last star being fell from the sky. The next one should be coming quite soon…"_

A string of dusty light pierced the night sky, heading down towards the earth. Goats scattered as the strong light came nearer to their grazing area. The light crashed down, creating a crater in the fields of Hyrule. Dirt and grass was still falling to the floor as goats curiously went over to investigate the strange crater. The dust began to fade away revealing a man sprawled in the center of the crater, pure white hair covering his face. A brave goat ventured down into the crater and sniffed at the seemingly unconscious man. Receiving no response, the goat bleated. Getting a similar result, the goat went over to bite at the man's hair.

A hand shot up and grabbed the goat's muzzle, snapping its jaws shut. In a panic, the goat began to struggle to get away but to no avail. The man sat up, his grip still firmly on the goat. With his other hand, he parted his hair so he could see the creature that dared get so near him and then try to bite him. The goat flailed around even wilder than before at the sight of the man's dark, angry eyes.

Seeing that the creature was just a stupid animal, he cast it aside. The goat staggered up and then skipped away as the man stood up. He glared at the sky.

"Now you're all mocking me up there? Bunch of wankers, that's what you lot are…" he grumbled.

He then turned his attention to his surroundings. He looked around with disgust at the patch of dirt he was in. Dirt… he'd heard of it and he immediately knew he didn't like it now that he felt it in between his toes. Muttering angrily he went up the slope of the crater until he reached the actual grass of the field. He couldn't say he liked the feeling of grass much better. It was cold and prickly.

He heard the bleating of goats and immediately shot a glare at a small group of them curiously staring at him. These had no reaction, unlike their friend that he had scared earlier. That just made his mood worse. To add to it, a breeze came… and that made him very uncomfortable in certain areas.

"Suppose I should find some clothes…"

* * *

The star (you'll get his name soon enough) is definitely going to be one of my favorite characters. While specifically made for this fanfic, I might actually give him an original story later... because he's already wooed me with his "charming" personality.

If you hate OCs, then good news for you, we'll be getting to Zelda and Link in the next chapter. So stop hating. D:


	2. A Witch and a Page

Um... Be shocked and amazed. _I have nothing to say_.

**Diablo1123**: Goats were just the first animals that came to mind aside from cows that appear in the Zelda universe... but now that you mention it, I do have a lot against goats. D:

**Lady.Zayriah**: That was my goal. :p

**la generala**: YES! ISN'T THAT GREAT?! :D I always hate how things typically associated with girls _are_ girls when personofied-that is sexist. Plus, I like guy characters better. Also, I suppose anyone would be butt naked if they had fallen through five or six layers of atmosphere and miraculously survived without being burnt to a crisp. It's just a damn shame good-looking, naked men don't fall from the sky more often. D:

* * *

A young woman wearing the pointed hat of a witch walked down the road. Over her blue robes she had a pack containing a very large, thick, and old book. She had been walking only half an hour but she already felt deathly tired. She pushed a lock of her blond hair behind one of her pointed ears and then just plopped down on the road. She sighed deeply and pulled her hat from her head, then gazed upward at the sky.

The night before she had seen it… A flash of brilliant light traveling through the sky and landing in the field. Syrup and Maple had told her about stars, so when she saw that falling star she knew… she knew it was a star being! And if she could find the star being and convince it to grant her wish…

She smiled. She would find the star being and she would have her wish granted.

She came out of her thoughts when the sounds of a horse driven wagon came into he ears. Down the road was the source of the noise and she figured it might be a good idea to try and catch a ride with this person. Though she was determined, she was tired. Carrying around such a heavy book of spells too didn't help any. She stood up as quickly as she could and waved to the wagon, making sure to hide her hat behind her back with her other hand. It slowed to a halt as it got nearer.

The man guiding the horses then said, "Ho' there missy! Needing a ride are you?"

She nodded and smiled, "Yes, if it's not too much trouble to you, sir."

With a hearty laugh the man said, "It's no trouble at all to help a young lady in need! Hop in the back, but I hope you don't mind company."

She smiled again, "Not at all. Thank you, sir." After that she walked around to the back of the wagon and climbed into it. For the most part the wagon had hay and other farming tools. There was even a bag that smelt of what she was sure were animal droppings, which she made sure to keep her distance from. The boy sleeping in the cart, though, didn't fit in with the contents of the wagon at all. He was perhaps her own age and dressed in the green tunic of a page. She had no doubts that a page was what he was since near him were a sword and shield. She also couldn't help but notice he was good looking too.

The man driving the wagon asked if she was okay back there and she answered yes. The wagon then began to move, causing its contents to wobble and shake as it advanced. She made herself comfortable and placed her hat down. She slipped off her pack and dragged her spell book out, deciding it a good time to review some of her magic.

"Don't witches normally ride brooms?"

The comment caught her completely off guard. She was sure she had jumped out of her skin for a moment. She looked over to the page that had been sleeping. He had one eye open and it was staring right at her.

"Well?" he asked.

"Um… It's a common misconception, really…" she started, "Not all witches can control a broom…"

He shrugged and didn't ask anymore questions, but not that he was awake, she had a question for him.

"What's a page doing so far away from the castle?"

He frowned and shifted uncomfortably, "What everyone else doing at the moment… And I don't like being called a page… it makes me sound like a kid."

"Sorry," she said, "What is it everyone else is doing?"

He gave her a puzzled look. "Are you stupid or something? You had to have seen that star fall last night. It's why you're here, isn't it?" he told her.

She tried not to seem too taken aback. She had never been spoken to like that… but that wasn't why she was so surprised. She never for a moment thought that other people had seen the star fall. She felt like an idiot, because no one could miss something that bright in the dead of night. For her to think that she was only one of a few people searching for the fallen star was moronic.

She hung her head in disappointment.

The boy chuckled and he said, "I guess we're rivals, then."

She gave him a small smile and nodded, "I suppose we are."

He sat up straight and stretched with a wide yawn. When he was done he looked back at her and said, "I'm Link."

"My name is Zelda." she replied.

He nodded, "So Zelda, why are you looking for the star?"

She forked an eyebrow. "That's a bit of a personal question, isn't it?" she said.

He shrugged. "I have no problems saying why I'm looking for it."

"Really?" she asked almost a bit disbelievingly, "What will you wish for if you find it, then?"

He smiled widely and then rested a hand on his sword. "My wish is to surpass my father, in strength and bravery… I want people to see me as Link-not the son of Lancast-just Link, a great swordsman in my own right."

"Your father was also a swordsman?" she asked.

He nodded, "Yes, one of the greatest in Hyrule. I'm proud to call him my father but… having such a great man for a father makes it a bit difficult to live up to his reputation." he explained. "Do you have family?"

Zelda smiled sadly and shook her head. "No… And I guess you could say that is my wish," she said. She brushed a bit of her hair that had drifted to her face back behind her ear before continuing, "I never knew my actual birth parents. When I was a baby I was left with the witch Syrup and her granddaughter Maple. They're like family, but they aren't… I guess my wish is to find my real family-if they're still in this world, that is."

"Ouch, sorry I asked." Link said with a slight flinch.

The young witch shook her head, "No, it's fine. I didn't even know my real family so there's no use in being sad if I never knew them."

"Hey, you two back there! We're getting near the village!" the wagon driver shouted out from the front.

Link and Zelda climbed over a hay stack to see the village gates in front of the wagon. "Kakariko Village" was written over the gate in fading paint and villagers could be seen hustling and bustling through the buildings. As soon as the wagon was through the gates, it pulled over to the side and stopped. The two young people clambered out of the wagon, Link being polite and helping Zelda down.

"May the best one find the star first." Link told her.

She nodded, "Yes; good luck to you."

They shook hands and then went their separate ways after thanking the wagon driver.

Zelda really had no idea where to start. Being raised as a witch, she knew a lot of things about many different magical creatures. Star beings had little information but she did know what they looked like. They were white in just about every aspect. They were stars after all. If they weren't bright then how could they illuminate the skies in the night? But just because she knew this didn't mean she knew how to go about find a person. She really didn't know the first thing about tracking a person down, never mind a star.

As she walked through the village, she made sure to keep her ears open. Link was right when he said that just about everyone had seen a star fall the previous night. No doubt there would be a lot of conversations about it and if she was lucky she might hear something. Maybe there would be some news of a strange looking person who had come into town or something of the sort. But all she could hear were people just speaking about what they saw the previous night. She thought of asking questions but then a realization came to her. If people had seen a strange looking person, or if they had already found a star, they wouldn't be speaking of such news aloud. Things like that would be the type of things housewives gossiped about in hushed circles. She gripped the rim of her hat remembering how nobody would be talking to her anytime soon.

Link felt that for a witch, Zelda was pretty. He also didn't think witches would have any interest in fallen stars either. After all, they already had magic. But for her particular reasons, he supposed it was understandable. Still, a sob story wasn't going to get him to stop looking for the star. Sure, he didn't have a clue what a star being looked like but he would definitely find it. And hopefully, after he found it, his teacher wouldn't be too angry. This trip he had made was unplanned and he never did give any notice to anyone that he was leaving. But he had to be the first to find it and when he did… he'd be even greater than his dad!

Before he could get started on looking, however, he had promised the wagon driver he'd help him unload. That was a part of the deal he made with the man and while he may not have been a "true" swordsman, he still felt compelled to keep his word. After all, how could he become a true swordsman if he didn't keep to his promises?

As he unloaded one of the bales of hay, he could have sworn he saw someone he knew rush past. Placing the bale down for a moment, he looked at the rushing man and figured out where he had seen him before. He worked at the Castle; he was a messenger and he seemed to be on edge. The messenger ran into a building and Link noted that other people had noticed the presence of a royal messenger. He overheard a whisper that the messenger had run into the mayor's office. He grimaced in his mind. He had an idea of what the messenger was going to report and if it was what he thought it was…

Brushing the grim thought to the back of his head, he picked up the bale and started lugging it over to the other bales. If he started thinking about things like that then he would lose focus. The best thing to do now would be to ignore the messenger. After all, it might not be what he thought it was…

No sooner had he thought that then the messenger came back out with an entourage of town guards. The guards then started ordering everyone to head to the town square. If it had to be announced to all the townspeople then it was something big… and he didn't like it. If the news was what he thought it was then it was coming at the worst possible time.

He followed a flock of people heading towards the town square. The crowd thickened and surrounded a blank area with only the messenger in the center. Guards kept the townsfolk from getting too close but Link managed to make his way to the front. On the other side of the crowd he could see Zelda looking at the messenger nervously. She didn't seem to notice him.

"Attention people of Kakariko!" the messenger said in a booming voice, "Attention people of Kakariko! I bring unfortunate news from Hyrule Castle! As some may have heard, the king has fallen ill… but the extent of sickness had been determined… The king of Hyrule is dying!"

Link frowned. That was just what he hoped the messenger wouldn't say… If life was complicated before, that news just made it worse. He knew the king had been in bad health lately… His teacher told him that he might even be dying-and that had just been confirmed a moment ago! And now that it was true, he had bigger things to worry about…


	3. A Cursed King

Sigh, I don't understand why everyone is so shocked I put a dying king in the story. Every single story out there, _every single one_, has a cliche in them. Eh... whatev. I'll just get on with this...

**Diablo1123:** Hmm, I forgot about those. And there are Zelda games where the king hasn't died besides Minish Cap. It's just hard to tell because he's almost always never mentioned. XD

**la generala**: Hehe, we'll see.

**Lady . Zayriah**: Well, I won't go too much into romance in the story, I'll admit it, but I will hint at it. Whether they get to the love stage in the story is still yet to be decided... As for Maple and Syrup, Syrup's the gramma and Maple the sort of sister figure. I always wanted to include them in a fanfic, just never had an opening for them until now. I thought their names were cute too. X3

**darthritter86**: I'm not good at beginnings. I'll admit, even I think it's dry. -shrug- Luckily, we start getting on track in this chapter.

**link2832:** Like I said, every story out there has a cliche or two. There's no such thing as an original story. Every single story out there is a retelling of one or the other-different writers are simply what makes the stories different in any way. Good writing can excuse a cliche, and I hope I'm capable of that.

This might be the last response thing I'll do for a bit. I like talking to ya guys, but these take time. -sweatdrop-

* * *

All was going according to plan. He had played his role and he played it well. As far as the king was concerned, Ganondorf Dragmire was his best friend and most trusted advisor. For someone who had no family, he'd naturally entrust the throne to someone with political experience, someone he knew he could trust. Yes, a man who rose up through the ranks to become one of the king's most invaluable subjects and greatest friends. He was a shoe-in to become king. And if he wasn't named successor, he'd still be king. In fact, he was already a king: King of the Gerudo-the desert thieves neighboring Hyrule. But no one need know that… at least, not until after Hyrule was under his rule.

And it wouldn't stop at Hyrule… No, Hyrule was just the beginning. A star had fallen just the other night… If he could get a hold of that star, then so many more options would be available to him… And he already knew exactly what he was going to do.

"Lord Dragmire," he recognized the voice as the king's personal attendant, "I do not mean to disturb you, but His Highness wishes to see you."

Though he was slightly annoyed at the sudden interruption, he put on his best tired look. He had to make it look like he actually cared for the king's health. "Then I will see him."

The man bowed and then led the way to the king's quarters. The grand door was opened and he walked in. The king lay in his bed, in pain surrounded by servants and his personal doctor. With great difficulty, the king pushed himself up as best he could. The king was not as young as he once was, but his sudden sickness made him appear more old and haggard than before. His beard was graying and the wrinkles and bones in his face were more evident than ever before.

"Leave us," the king commanded to everyone else in the room. They quickly scurried out without a word. The doctor, being the last to leave, closed the door behind them.

"Ganondorf," the king started, "My good friend…" he could not finish. Grisly coughs escaped from his throat.

"Please, Your Highness," Ganondorf said, rushing over to help the king lay back down, "You mustn't overexert yourself."

The king just kept coughing and let the dark man lay him back down. The coughs died down and the king began to speak again, "It does not matter since I will die one way or the other." at that comment he made a raspy noise that one would associate with a laugh. Ganondorf stifled his own laughs and kept his face of concern and allowed the king to go on, "I know not how I have contracted this disease… Whether it is simply the time the gods have put upon me or a curse, it does not matter. I will die and I will die soon. But if I die, I leave this great kingdom of Hyrule without a ruler… and blood will be shed to find the new king… I cannot die knowing there is no one to take my place."

"A wise decision, Highness… But who will take your place? No one could ever hope to live up to your name." he really couldn't believe he was saying these words, but some things were necessary to vomit out.

"I still do not know… That is why I have called you here, Ganondorf." said the king, "I trust in your judgment… I would like for you to speak to the Court on my behalf on the matter of succession."

"Me? But Your Highness, there certainly must be another who is better suited to handle this!" Ganondorf said, trying to seem as astounded as possible.

The king coughed a bit more and then said, "I am sure you know what qualities to look for in a leader." he smiled, "I trust you with my life Ganondorf."

He bowed and said, "I am honored, Your Majesty… your words are much too kind…" _They really are._

The king sighed and smiled. "To know I have such trustworthy people at my side is a blessing… but truth be told… I think this sickness is a curse…"

He tried not to seem too alarmed by the king's comment. Even if the king had figured out about a curse, he surely didn't know that… No, he had just told him about how he trusted him. "Whatever do you mean, Majesty?"

The king gave an empty chuckle, "It goes back to before you came into my service… For those sins, I think I have been cursed. I would not be surprised if the goddesses thought me a wicked and cruel man for what I have done…"

"I am sure the goddesses have forgiven your sins, Majesty." Ganondorf attempted to reassure. _Because I was the one that cursed you not the goddesses, you old fool. And now you've put me in charge of finding your successor. You make things much too easy…

* * *

_

The messenger's news quickly became the talk of the day, which bothered Link greatly. He just sat on a bench, frustrated. He didn't want to think about it, he really didn't. It should've been expected… the king was an older man getting on in his days. And when he thought about it, that wasn't really bothered him. It sounded heartless, not caring about the death of a person but rather caring about what would happen after he died. The death of kings had an impact on just about everything…

"You seem to be very bothered by the messenger's words."

He jumped when he heard Zelda. She was sitting next to him, looking genuinely concerned.

"Nothing good will come if the king dies." he answered simply.

She cocked her head to the side in the fashion of a curious cat. "Is he that good of a king?" she asked.

Link sighed and stared up at the sky for a moment. "I'm not sure-I mean, he's a better king than most Hyrule has had before but I can't say I really care."

"So why do you care if he's going to die?" Zelda asked, seeming very confused.

"I care and I don't care. It's complicated… the thing is, if he dies, there's going to be an enormous power struggle within the Court. The king has no heirs and so far he hasn't chosen anyone to be his successor. And I'll be honest and say I don't think anyone in the Court is fit for the throne." he said.

"Then when the king dies…?" she didn't finish her question. She probably already knew the answer but Link would answer anyways.

"Hyrule will be at war with itself. The nobles are all going to fight over who's to become king." he said grimly.

The young witch frowned. She didn't have much knowledge of politics but she did know civil war was bad. "If he has no heirs then he was never married… He has no brothers either?" she asked.

"He had a brother that died the war some twenty years ago. I doubt he would be willing to take up the reins from beneath is grave." he said.

Both of them let out sighs, knowing that Hyrule was in for a grim future. Unless… Zelda began, "We could always-"

"-wish for it." Link finished.

They looked at each other, smiling. There was a star somewhere and the star had to grant a wish to get back home! Sure, their wishes may not come true but it wouldn't be quite worth it to have them granted if the kingdom had fallen to ruin.

"We just need to find the star!" Zelda said.

"No, _I_ just need to find the star." Link corrected.

Jaw dropped in offense the witch said, "I can help!"

"But it's not your responsibility. As a servant to the king it's mine and it'd be wrong of me to take a young woman on a potentially dangerous quest." he said matter-of-factly. From his expression he was absolutely serious, too.

"I'm sure you don't know the first thing about star-beings! I could help you!" she said a bit angrily.

"Alright, tell me what you know and I will handle it from there." he said simply.

She growled squeakily and then said, "I can do so much more if you'll let me help you! I'm not a little girl, I'm a witch!" She shook her hat in front of his face to emphasize the "witch" part.

But before Link could retort, someone else took part in the conversation,

"Yes and that's all very nice little girl, but could you keep it down? Some of us are trying to sleep."

Both Link and Zelda looked around warily for the owner of the voice. They found it in the alleyway behind their bench. He stayed hidden in the shadows, sitting against the wall with his face hidden underneath a hood. From his dress he appeared like a ranger of some sort but something about him was… unnerving. Not to mention such a strange accent as well.

"Wait…" Zelda said as a thought came to her, "It's the middle of the day! What are you doing sleeping? And in an alleyway?!"

Link put a hand on her shoulder, pulling her back slightly, "I don't think we should be talking to him…" he whispered.

She shrugged off his hand, climbed over the bench and rushed over to where the strange man was. She bent down to try and get a look at his face, but he'd turn away. "Come on now, don't be like that. You really shouldn't be in the dark like this."

"I don't like the sun!" the man snapped. He then quickly waved his hands in front her saying, "Now shoo! Go away!"

She was about to say more but Link had walked around the bench and behind her. He grabbed a hold of her arm and pulled her away, giving the man an apologetic smile, "Sorry about that. She's a bit of an idiot."

She shot a look at him but he just shot one back at her.

"I've noticed…" they heard the man mutter. "Now go, I don't wish to be disturbed."

Without another word, Link dragged her away. Zelda reluctantly followed, feeling more irritated than before. "What a rude man! I was only concerned!" she huffed.

"Not everyone is as nice as you are." Link said.

"I've noticed…" she muttered.


	4. A Witch's Wrath

**Lady . Zayriah:** Hm, it'll be getting better as the story proceeds. :3

**darthritter86:** I told I sucked at beginnings. :p As for everything else... I can't say... And I'm sorry, I can't do anything about growling stomachs over the internet. XD

**link2832:** FEH! Vampires... overrated and overused... And Stephanie Meyer really did kill them...

**Ldbrenes:** I did say that movie sort of inspired it. It's an amazing moie, I really love it. :D

**fleets:** No, the star is his own character. I regret to inform that there will be a significant lack of Vaati in the story. D: (Vaati: That's why it's going to suck - Reily: Shut up you!). I'm not double-blinding you, I promise! And besides... I never-ever claimed that "Haizea" was an OC... I implied it, but never said it.

* * *

MERRY FREAKING CHRISTMAHANUKWANZAAKUH! Yeah, NaNoWriMo's over and I freaking OWNED THAT SH!T. In other words, I won. Did I own it, no. I just narrowly made it, I'll be honest. But hell, I wrote 50,000 words within a month. And because of that you get a short chapter now. For that I'm sorry, but give me a freaking break. Fifty thousand words, remember? Ohyeah, and it's 2:30 AM... But sleep is for _losers_.

Anyways, as from the first sentence above, I'm also a holiday nut. I'm one of those people that goes around singing Christmas carols to herself and claims to be Santa's number one unofficial elf. Hell, I still write letters to the guy even though I found out he didn't exist six years ago... And sorry if I just bursted anyone's bubble. So yeah, I'm just freaking EXPLODING with holiday cheer.

Oh yeah, and here's your short chapter. **Trials and Tribulations** will be updated Sunday, returning to schedule. This story still has no set schedule so... it'll be coming as it comes!

* * *

After they were a sufficient distance away from the strange man, Link held Zelda in front of him while giving her a stern look, "Now, before we were interrupted… You can't come with me!" he told her.

"And why not? It was my idea! And you didn't seem to have a problem with me going to find it on my own before!" she said angrily.

"No, we both thought of it at the same time." Link said in a matter-of-factly tone. "And besides, it's not a woman's place to be going on adventures. I mean, I never said anything before because I didn't think you would get anywhere."

"Not… a woman's… place…" she repeated almost blankly.

Link tapped her on the shoulder lightly and said with a great big smile, "That's right!"

Unfortunately, Link had no idea of the gravity of what he had just told her. In Zelda's mind, she had been insulted in the worst way possible. And to insult a witch is not the wisest of things to do. Before the page could even see it, a hand went straight to his face. And it wasn't just one time that this happened; she repeatedly slapped him while shouting,

"_Chauvinistic pig!_ How dare you undermine my abilities based upon my sex!"

Finally, he caught one of her wrists in the air, throwing her off balance and making her practically fall into him. Catching her, he warily said,

"Let's not do-"

He never saw her throw coming. She had gotten hold of his arms and then threw him on his back. That girl was nothing like his trainer had told him girls were like. His eyes grew wide with fear as her shadow passed over him. He could see the rage burning behind her eyes. She moved her arm through the air, as if she was writing something in the air over him. He attempted to scooch backwards but it was as if his limbs weren't letting him…

In fact… colors were becoming less vivid, his hearing and smell was becoming stronger… Everything seemed bigger and he had a strong urge to scratch behind his ear with his leg. He managed to flip on his stomach and he was about to get up and run but… his hand… it wasn't a hand at all! He found himself panting in fear but instead of hearing normal breaths he heard a whiny sound.

He felt something latch around his neck. He attempted to snap at whatever it was only to be smacked over the head.

"Bad dog!" he heard Zelda say.

He turned quickly and arched his head upwards, so he could see the bitter face of the witch.

"Bad dog, turning on your master like that!" she said haughtily.

_"What have you done to me?!"_ what came out was barks and growls. He heard bystanders around them gasp in fear. Zelda, however, seemed to understand him perfectly.

"You cross a witch, you pay the consequences." she spat. "For the rest of this adventure you'll be my pet wolfie."

He barked something angrily, but it did not mean anything. It was simply an angry bark and he felt ashamed to say he liked doing the angry bark.

She cocked her head arrogantly and then said, "If it makes you feel better, I'll change you back every once in a while… but that little collar around your neck gives me the power to turn yo back into a mongrel whenever I feel like it. Now come on doggy, we're going to trail a star being now."

He growled and snapped angrily in refusal. She didn't need to say anything to influence his next move. The people around them were all staring right at him. He felt his ears twitch as he picked up their mutterings,

"A wolf in the city?!" "Somebody kill it already!" "Wasn't there a young man there earlier?" "Someone call the guard!" "That witch can probably handle it." "Why on earth does it have a sword and shield on its back?"

As he was hearing all this, he felt his tail retreat in between his legs as he whinnied.

"That's right, cower like the dog you are." the blond witch before him said spitefully. "But if you follow me around, then I can convince people you're my pet. It's your choice. Wander in a body you're not used to or follow me."

His ears backed and he growled at her, but he eventually gave in. She was right. This body was foreign to him. He did not know the first thing about being a wolf or dog or whatever he was. As much as he hated it, he would have to go with the witch.

He stepped forward, hating how the tone floor felt beneath his paws. What was he thinking? He hated having paws!

"Good boy." he heard Zelda say softly, only making it sound that much more evil.

They walked through the town for a bit longer and Link was gradually getting used to walking in this new body. The witch he was being forced to follow did not seem to be paying too much attention to him. He thought of running a few times, but every time he did he always heard a "tsk tsk" come from the witch. If she could turn him into a wolf, he honestly hated to think what else she could do to him. But he still had to wonder what Zelda would be looking for?

She was actually just listening around for clues. She did her best to keep an eye on her new, erm… "pet"… To be honest, the young witch actually felt kind of guilty for it but… when raised around Maple and Syrup, one would have a tendency to overreact to certain things. Matters of gender were just one of those things that had a tendency to blow up quickly. However, Zelda was normally so mild tempered, it disturbed her to know she could act so evil sometimes.

Brushing the thoughts to the back of her mind, she focused on the task at hind. She had to listen for something… a strange going on or something of the sort. She would occasionally stop and sit somewhere, hoping to hear something.

She finally did.

It was in front of tavern. She had to admit, she definitely did not expect what was coming. She heard laughing and jeering and then a man was thrown out of the tavern. He was a nothing special sort of guy; the only thing that made him remotely noticeable was the fact that he was half naked.

"I'm telling you," he shouted into the tavern, "A man came in the middle of the night. He didn't have a strip of clothing on him but he threatened me! He was some sort of magical folk, ordered me to hand over my clothes!"

"Excuse me," Zelda piped in. "Excuse me, could you tell me more about this man.?"

The man looked at her strangely and then blushed. Probably ashamed that he was wearing so little in the presence of a lady.

"Um, yes, ma'am…" he said nervously, "He was a very pale fellow. His hair was all white too, 'cept for his eyes. Those were dark and… menacing, really. He seemed very angry and… the magic was just everywhere… I really thought I was going to die!"

She thought it over. What he said fit the criteria of a star being except for the dark eyes part… Star beings did not have dark eyes. But she did not have any other leads… She heard Link growl and he tugged at the sleeve of her robe.

She yanked her arm away and shot him a look, "What is it?"

He barked softly and pointed his nose to something on the man's arm. Her eyes widened.

"Excuse me, sir?" she said, "I couldn't help but notice the tattoo on your arm… Are you a ranger?"

The man took on a depressed look and said, "I know I don't look it without the uniform, but yes…"

She had taken off on a run before he had even finished his statement. A strange man sleeping in the alleyway with his hood up and dressed like a ranger… and his strange sense of presence… Everything screamed star and she was enough of an idiot to not have out it together!

Link had jolted ahead of her. She shouldn't have been surprised, he had two extra legs now. She struggled to keep up, hoping he wasn't planning on running away. He could still be useful, after all. Instead, he ran straight towards the alleyway where the man had been. He growled and then snapped angrily at a piece of plywood on the wall. When she caught up and caught her breath, she saw why.

He was gone.

* * *

_Bloody freaking hell._ the star thought angrily. First an annoying witch girl comes and ruins his sleep and then there was a commotion going on. He heard something about wolves but he did not care. He just wanted to sleep! He had no idea why people on the earth found that being active in the day was more productive… But then again, being a star, he could not even begin to understand how humans worked. They may have looked relatively the same but star beings and humans were completely different.

Yawning and stretching, he looked around to see some people running. From their wolf perhaps.

_Idiots. If it's just one wolf why don't they just gang up on it and kill it?_ he thought to himself. Humans would forever remain a mystery. He supposed he would have to get over it, though, if he was going to be living the rest of his extremely long life amongst them. _I probably should give the diurnal life a chance, too…_

He grumbled and pushed himself up. He brushed himself off, adjusted his hood and then continued out in the sunlight. It took him a bit for his eyes to adjust - he wasn't used to such brightness – but as soon as he could make everything around him out, he decided he might as well get on the trail again. Best to get as far away from his landing sight as possible if he didn't want to be discovered. Not that it really mattered. If someone did find out what he was… too bad for them. It wasn't like he _had_ to grant their wishes.

He chuckled to himself. Another thing that humans didn't realize about stars was that they had a choice in the wishes they granted. If they did not want to grant a wish for whatever reason, they didn't have to! And him, he wasn't going to be granting any wishes to anybody…

_I feel for the fools who think they can get me to grant their wishes.

* * *

_This chapter was so fun to write.I really enjoyed giving Zelda that Midna-ish flare and... And sexist Link is just hilarious. And I'll be honest and say I completely BSed this chapter. I was so caught up in NaNoWriMo, I pretty much forgot where I was going with this story, save for the basic storyline. I'm still as enthusiastic as ever to write it, though.


	5. To Track a Star

This is what happens when I have no update schedule. I don't update. It's been almost two months that I haven't updated this. D: For that I'm sorry, but I do have a schedule for this one now. Once every two weeks on Saturdays. It'll come out the same weekend as T&T does.

As for actual funny. Last chapter wasn't meant to be hilarious. I may say I think it's hilarious, but I'm Cuban and last I checked, hispanic people like myself are known to exaggerate... a lot. The real funny... hehe... the real funny will be coming in a few chapters... maybe the next one. I dunno. It depends how the flow goes.

Also, this chapter is so fast paced, it makes a cheetah look slow. D: On the brighter side, the writing has lightened up a bit in style. You see, when you participate in NaNoWriMo, you have this tendency to forget about contractions and you start to write very robotically. And if that doesn't make you feel better... Well, it was either and extrememly fast paced chapter or no chapter at all. Which would you rather have, hm?

* * *

"You're a wolf! Smell him out!" Zelda demanded.

Link growled angrily. The translation was, "_I was a human until ten minutes ago and you expect me to know how to be a wolf?!_"

"Yes!" she said angrily. No, she did not actually expect him to know it, but it would have been nice. Especially when the star had just been under their noses and they let him escape! Such a strange feeling came from the star being, how could she have not figured it out sooner!?

"Try, at least!" she finally told him when she could not think of anything else.

He growled again but went on into the alley. He looked around, not quite knowing what to do. He sniffed the air and huffed angrily. He didn't know how dogs (or in this case, wolves) did it. He sniffed the air and smelled the exact same things he did before: the general filth that people would leave behind, like garbage and… wastes of various kinds…

"No, no, no!" he heard Zelda say. He looked up at her and saw her shaking her in frustration. "You're doing it all wrong! You need to think like a wolf! If you don't, it will never work!"

Think like a wolf? But he wasn't a wolf!

"_Think like one_!" Zelda snapped angrily.

For a girl she sure has a temper, he thought. He didn't dare voice it aloud, however. She might turn him into something worse if he said it- well, barked it- out loud. But it wouldn't hurt to try, he supposed. It's not like they were going to be getting anywhere either way.

Think like an animal… How did animals think? More specifically, how did a wolf think?

He had no idea.

A whiny noise escaped from his mouth, unintentionally of course. He didn't want to seem like a whiny… well… bitch, but he really did not know what to do. He kept sniffing the air, hoping for something. He really did attempt to try and find something different within the air.

He sneezed.

There was something in the air. He tickled his nose, made it tingle. It was a weird kind of smell… a smell? Was he thinking like a wolf then? He didn't dare think about if he was thinking like a wolf. If he was he might just forget, so instead, he followed the strange scent. For fear of losing the scent, he ran to find its source, not even bothering to alert Zelda.

"Wha, where are you going?!" she cried, as she made a clumsy start to follow him. It was at moments like these where she wished she could ride a broom, but since she couldn't she just had to run and hope she did not lose him.

After a while of manic running, Link finally stopped in front of an auburn haired girl and then barked like a maniac. The girl didn't seem frightened but rather surprised. Zelda just scowled and ran faster until she was by the wolf and the girl.

"Is this wolf dog yours?" the girl asked Zelda.

Zelda remained a quiet for a moment, trying to catch her breath but nodded.

"_His scent is on her!_" he barked at Zelda.

She so wanted to rub in his face how he was thinking like a wolf now, but instead she looked at the girl again. She was a farm girl, perhaps around their own age and looking quite confused.

"Ah, excuse us," Zelda started, removing her hat to be polite, "But have you seen a hooded man that looks like a ranger?"

"A ranger?" she asked. The witch gave her a confirming nod and the farm girl thought. "Not too long ago, actually, one passed by. He asked my dad if he could give him a ride out of town."

"_Where_?!" Link barked excitedly. The girl ignored and Zelda asked in his stead.

"I don't know. He just said he wanted to leave town, but I'm guessing it would be somewhere along the way to the ranch since that's where my dad was headed to." said the farm girl. "Do you know that ranger?"

Zelda wasn't sure how to answer it so she said, "Yes?"

"Perfect!" the girl squealed, clapping her hands together gleefully.

"Huh?" was what came out of Zelda's mouth.

"Listen, I'll give you and your wolf dog here a ride to the ranch. If we have enough speed, we might be able to catch up to them before the ranger leaves!" said the girl happily.

"But I don't have any-"

"Free of charge!" the girl said.

Even Link was surprised at that comment and Zelda had to ask, "Why are you being so helpful?"

The girl giggled shyly and then said, "Ever since I was little, I dreamed of being swept off my feet by a mysterious stranger… and that ranger seemed to fit what I was looking for. I didn't get much of a chance to talk to him, but if I help you guys, I might be able to!"

"_Ah, women are so stupid sometimes…_" the wolf grumbled to himself. He felt the fur at the base of his neck being tugged violently by Zelda, but he did nothing but growl.

The girl, who introduced herself as Malon, made space in the back of her wagon for Link, which the wolf seemed very grateful for. Zelda went ahead and sat next to Malon on the wagon. As they went on they began to talk. Apparently, Malon was the heiress to the Lon Lon Ranch and she often handled the business with her father, though, it was mostly her because her father was very lazy apparently. Zelda found it refreshing to have the talk with Malon, mostly because she hadn't had a real conversation with a girl for a while, not since she lived with Maple and Syrup.

The wagon had been going for a while and there was still no sign of any other wagons ahead of them. The ranch, according to Malon, was nearby but still out of view. Zelda wondered if that was where the star being was. Her real question was why he was moving around so much, even hiding his identity. According to what she knew, stars didn't usually do that. They normally wanted to be found so they could grant a wish and leave back to their homes. But this one seemed adamant on not being found.

"_Maybe the other stars are jerks?_" Link growled from the back as if he had read her mind.

That was definitely an option. Still, no doubt the celestial world had to be different this one…

"Oh, I see the wagon!" Malon cried. She kept one hand on a reign and pointed with the other.

Link's ears perked and he sat up, glancing over at the wagon. Zelda looked over at him, asking him silently if he could confirm that the star was on the wagon. He sniffed the air and barked a confirmation.

"Excuse me, Malon," the witch said almost a little hesitantly, "What are the chances we can catch up to them?"

"Pretty good actually," Malon said with a smile, "We can pick up the pace a little, too."

"That would be excellent." Zelda said almost relieved.

At this rate, they would catch up to the star and hopefully they would be able to corner him. And if they couldn't… Zelda chuckled as she remembered the book on her back. She had studied one particular spell that she thought would be quite useful. She never really had any use for it since it was a spell made especially for stars, but she studied correct pronunciation of the words, the way she had to say it… she memorized completely for the day she would have to use it and chances are she would probably have to.

"_What are you scheming_?" Link growled.

She smiled and then poked him on the nose. "That's a secret." _Unfortunately for you, you may not like it… But if I have to use you, I will…_

Her original plans actually involved a complete stranger, but if there were none around. She didn't want to but she wasn't going to involve herself in the spell, that was for sure. That would be way too much trouble and just plain weird.

"Hey!" she heard Malon shout.

Zelda hadn't realized they were so near the other wagon now.

"Hey there, Malon? Headin' back early?" said the rotund, mustachioed man driving the wagon.

"Yup. Hope you don't mind if I brought a guest too, dad." said the farm girl.

"Not t'all," said her dad.

Zelda focused her attention mostly on the man next to Malon's father. Even with the hood up, she could tell he was giving her a suspicious glare.

"Hello there, Mr. Ranger." she to him politely. "I'm glad you're not in that alley anymore."

The guised star said nothing but he did glance at Link, and that's when he spoke, "I remember him looking a bit differently. He almost looks like… crude magic." Even with his strange accent, he sounded amused.

It took a moment for the young witch to realize he had just insulted her. She heard a choking type noise coming from the wolf and she knew he was laughing. She grabbed the fur at the base of his neck again causing him to flinch and shut up. Sexism and insulting her abilities… those were the two things that really made her angry.

The two wagons stopped by the gate to the ranch. The star didn't bother to hide the fact that he intended to leave as soon as he possibly could, as he quickly leapt off the wagon and was rushing to get away. But Malon held true to her story about wanting to get to know him better as she usually did something to prevent his leaving. And that just made it all the better for Link and Zelda.

Malon, while not quite knowing it and probably not intending it, was actually a perfect distraction for the star being. He spent so much time trying to get away from her rather than just getting away, that he spent most of the afternoon doing just that and failing every time. Zelda and Link just let it be, as they figured if they could hole him there until dark, things would be easier to handle. Being a star, he was most active at night and would no doubt leave then. Zelda and Link would follow him and then try to compromise. And if not… well, the blond witch still had her secret ace in the hole.

As the sun began to set, Malon and her father, Talon, insisted they all stay the night, to which the witch happily agreed to and the star was obviously forced to agree to.

All that was left was waiting for the deep night, probably when their rogue star would feel most comfortable. Zelda attempted to get a little shut eye, but Link did not allow her too, as he decided it would be the perfect time to ask to be human again. She had to tell him that it would be a little difficult to explain how he got there the next morning if she did so. In actuality, she wouldn't have minded changing him back.

As the night came, Link nudged her in order to get her up. They then wandered out of the building and went about, Zelda asking the wolf to find the star's scent again. He didn't even need to. As they walked, they eventually found the star leaning by one of the walls of the building, as if waiting for them.

"You followed me from the village, what do you want?" he spat from under his hood.

Link barked it out but the guised star being completely ignored him, so Zelda spoke, "We want you to grant our wish, star."

The star lowered his hood, revealing his white face and white hair and contrasting dark eyes. "Fat chance of that happening, ducky." he said.

"Ducky?" she blurted out. She didn't get it… did she look like a duck? "Whatever… but why not? Our intentions are good-"

"I don't much care whether your intentions are good or not, I just want to be left alone. I have no desire to grant anyone's wishes, least of all a little witch and her pet." said the star being condescendingly.

"It's a shame to hear you say that…" it was a completely different voice then what Zelda and Link had heard before. Even the star seemed a bit caught off guard. Quite possibly because the voice was very strange… warbled in such a way that a gender or age could not be established. Coming from the shadows was a cloaked figure, hunched over and the most likely owner to the voice. Lowering itself eve more, as if in a bow, it said, "I've been looking for you, star, on behalf of my master in the castle… I think it would do you good… to reconsider your previous statement…"

* * *

I swear you'll know the star's name by next chapter. I beginning to get tired of adressing him as such anyways...


	6. Zant

Hmm... today's like the worst day to update of life. My mom wants to revamp my room TODAY and... and that requires a lot of work on my part...

Aside from that, I've realized I'm trying to do way too many things at once. Is that going to stop me from doing it, though? Of course not. I live off of stress, even though it's probably going to shorten my life drastically. Oh well... Well, here's the update. Complete with the star's name and some other really good stuff that will be explained next chapter.

* * *

"Who the hell are you?" the star asked for everyone else present.

"I am called Zant…" said the strange voice from the cloak, "I have come to retrieve you…"

"Retrieve me?" asked the star, seeming to find the statement amusing. "You can't be serious. No one can retrieve me. I go only where _I_ please."

It was good to see that the star was being very adamant about not going with the cloaked person, but Zelda was more worried about why Link was growling constantly at Zant.

"Do you know him?" she whispered.

"_He is the servant to Lord Ganondorf._" growled Link simply. The witch wished he would have elaborated, but he seemed more content with just making sure the cloaked man didn't make any sudden moves.

"I will have to be very convincing, then." said Zant.

There was no wait period for what happened next. As soon as he had finished speaking, strange black creatures with red stripes were popping from the ground and heading straight towards the star and them.

Link snarled and went for the nearest one, biting down on it as hard as he could while trying not to think about the rancid taste. Zelda also took part, throwing a fire spell at another. But each time one perished, another quickly took its place. The young witch dared not look away from her targets, but chanced it to make sure the other two were still present. They were; Zant remained where he had been standing while the star was picking off each creature thrown at him with some form of star magic as if it was nothing.

"_Change me back!_" snapped Link when he had thrown aside the dead creature. "_I work better with a sword!_"

He didn't have to say it twice. As soon as she had the chance, the blond witch reversed the spell she placed on him. She chanted the words quickly and quietly while ducking to avoid a creature that attempted to pounce on her. As she did so, Link, in painful bursts reverted back to human. His vision became what it used to, thumbs were returning, everything was going back to being human… except for the collar on his neck, much to his chagrin. But he didn't dwell on it; he quickly took the sword on his back from the scabbard and slashed at the nearest creature.

As soon as all the smaller creatures were gone, bigger, fiercer ones came. Zant still had not moved from his spot, but his hood trembled, as if he was laughing at them.

"Ducky."

Zelda had no idea how the star had gotten next to her without her noticing, but she just went, "What?! And I'm not a duck!" as she threw a creature off of her.

"The cloaked fellow is summoning the monsters." he said simply as a sparkling blast from his hand managed to destroy the nearest creature. "Take care of him, no more monsters. Your crude magic is perfect for that kind of thing."

"I'm sure-" she was cut off as another beast attempted to attack her. Thankfully, Link managed to slash it away. Quickly muttering a thank you she continued, "I'm sure you could do just as well!"

"You shouldn't tell girls things like this," Link began, "They'll wonder why we cannot do all the work."

"I'll do it!" the witch snapped angrily. Small juts of flame came from her finger tips and left. She was angry again and she was going to take the rage out on Zant.

Eyes set upon her target, she blasted away every oncoming creature in her way, perhaps with more force than necessary.

"What… What are you doing?" came Zant's shaky voice. Whatever magic he was using before to shield his voice wasn't working anymore. Now it was just a high pitched, squeaky voice laced with worry.

Zelda just kept marching towards him, fingers flaring on and off with blue hot flames. All the creatures Zant had summoned were now all heading for her, and she destroyed every single one of them.

"And you purposely try to piss her off?" the star asked Link.

The page simply said, "Not purposely; she just overreacts when I state the truth. She does get scary, though…"

Meanwhile, Zant's knees buckled and his hood came down. He was a strange looking fellow with strange eyes and a strange blue face. The young witch didn't let the strange looks take her by surprise, though. In fact, she acted as if nothing had happened. She just prepared herself for the most destructive spell she could think of. She opened her mouth to say the first word but something would interrupt her spell.

The blue man threw his arms in front of himself and then began to disappear. That was what threw Zelda off. The magic that she felt the strange man using was different than she was used to seeing. He disappeared in little black squares that flew up into the sky and disappeared. And it wasn't just him; it was his little cronies as well. Gaping, she just watched the strange black squares disappear into the night sky.

"What kind of magic was that?" Link echoed her thoughts as he stepped next to her.

"I… I don't know…" she said blankly.

Maybe the star would know… The star?

She pivoted and looked around. She couldn't see him. "Ah! You idiot!" she screamed at Link. "You let him get away!"

The page grimaced, willing to admit that that time, she was right. He had completely forgotten about the star when he saw Zant using that strange magic to escape. Both of them then realized, that was probably the star's plan from the moment he suggested it. Use Zelda to distract them, and when Zant was suing his strange magic to disappear, they would completely forget about him and he could make his escape.

"You seriously think I would use idiots in my plan and not take the time to thank them?"

The star's voice echoed from above. They both looked up and saw him standing on the rooftop of one of the stables, looking down at them with satisfaction. "I'll admit to be a rude fellow but I'm not that rude, Ducky."

"I'm not a duck!" she shouted angrily.

The star ignored her and said, "As thanks for helping me-even though it was through trickery-I'll give you my name: Vega." He then saluted them and said, "I'll be off now."

"No you will _not_!" Zelda snapped.

"That's right!" Link agreed. He then paused and whispered to Zelda, "What are you planning to do?"

She smiled evilly at him and said, "Just stay absolutely still."

The star, Vega, simply laughed. "Oh really? Ducky, I said it before to that blue freak: No one can retrieve me."

This time, the witch ignored him, and began her spell. The one that would force the star to remain and listen to their wish. Holding her hands together, she began the chant. She had practiced muttering it without the power behind it for a while now, so the words practically slipped off of the tongue.

Perhaps sensing what the spell entailed, the star attempted to make a run for it, but the spell had already taken root. It wasn't letting him move. Worst of all, the star knew something was going to go wrong. He knew what the spell was, and he heard the witch tell her companion to stay still. But if she was trying to do what he thought she was trying to do, she had already messed up. This little witch was an idiot. She was a novice trying to perform a master's spell. And he could already feel it taking effect. His head was beginning to spin…

He could move again, but he was so dizzy… had the spell ended already? And why was it so windy?

Ka-thump.

He felt pain all over his body. But the floor felt cool and prickly… like grass… He had fallen from that roof.

"I did it!" Zelda squealed happily, thrusting an arm in the air as a sign of her victory. However, doing so for some reason took the energy right out of her. She spun around and then fell down on her bottom. Her head was hurting. She looked over at Vega, and saw that the star being was lifting himself up. He had a look of unbelievable rage on his face and for some reason, she was beginning to feel angry as well. Realization began to dawn on her and she glanced up at Link. The page was just looking from her to the star confusedly. The spell… it didn't…

"You little dumbass," Vega started angrily, "Do you know what you've just done?"

* * *

That witch… was not just a witch… Zant could sense it. She had sheer power behind her, power that was impossible for any witch to have. If he had not escaped, he surely would have been obliterated.

But then again… he was going to be destroyed anyways. He hadn't brought the star back… and Lord Ganondorf would definitely be displeased. Worst of all, he was probably on his way that very moment. Ganondorf could sense when he went and came back. And even in the darkness and the dampness of the unused dungeon, he could always find him… always…

"Zant."

Speak of the devil…

The blue man could feel his master behind him… could feel those malicious eyes boring into his back. He turned slowly, smiling nervously yet amiably. "M-master…" he began.

"Where is the star?" It didn't seem like he asked a question, but more like he demanded an answer.

"Ah… the star… I had him, Master Ganondorf, I did, but… but there were these children! And they fought like monsters! One was a monster, a little witch! She had all this power behind her, like I've never seen before! Like there was some outside force giving it to her!"

Ganondorf cocked an eyebrow. "A witch with that much power? Describe her." he commanded.

The blue man nodded quickly and said, "She was an average sized girl, blond hair, blue eyes, very pretty… Now that I think of it, she kind of reminded me of a lady who used to live in the castle a long time ago…"

The Gerudo King had a thoughtful look on his face.

_"It goes back to before you came into my service…"_

His thought process was interrupted when Zant then went, "And the boy with her! I know him too! He's one of the pageboys here! Link, I think his name is… I didn't recognize him at first because he was a wolf…"

"The witch?" Ganondorf asked, "She turned him into a wolf?"

"I am assuming…" Zant said carefully, "I know she reversed it; that was for sure…"

A powerful little witch, a wolf who was really a boy… There were outside factors that were working against him. He'd gotten this far, there was no way he could let them interfere anymore than they had already. The star was out of his grasp for the moment but he needed it… And chances were they were interfering with that as they spoke as well.

The castle bell tolled four times. The Gerudo could not stay for much longer. A meeting of the court was to happen in half an hour to discuss succession of the king. Speaking on behalf of the king, it was important he should attend. He looked at his blue servant and said, "Follow them, watch them, spy on them. Make sure you are not seen and as subtly as you possibly can, make sure they come to me."

The servant bowed, "As you command, sire. Is there anything else?"

He thought for a moment and then said, "Yes. Make sure that star does not grant any wishes. Now go."

Zant disappeared into his little black squares, leaving his master alone in the unused dungeon.

The Gerudo then proceeded to talk back out into the castle, his thoughts dwelling and the things that his strange servant had told him. There was a lady who used to live in the castle that looked like that witch? And what the kind had told him when he last saw him… Those two factors had something to do with each other, he knew it. he would have to bribe some of the older maids, but he was sure if he did, he would be able to get some answers…

* * *

Hurr, I'm adding a lot more TP to this than I originally thought I would. It's not really a bad thing, though.


	7. Mangled Souls

Ah, I know I said I would release an early chapter for this but... I started it but then I got sick as a dog. It was horrible. Being sick is not fun. Luckily, I'm much better now... So a happy St. Valentines day to you all. May you share it with all those you love, and hopefully, unlike me, you share it with someone _real_. Anyways, onto other things-

**la generala** - Yes, I made her very moody... Perhaps more than I would have liked but, oh well. And thank ya'll. :B

**LadyZayriah** - I tried, but I couldn't. D:

**darthritter86** - To be honest, Vega's name was chosen mainly because I knew it was the name of a star. I know it's one of the brighter ones in the sky, but still dull compared to Sirius. I don't really know the history behind it, it just seemed to fit him... and that's normally how I choose a character's name. As for the revampage of my room, all that happened was we cleaned it up a bit. No time to do anything else because it was that bad... Oh me and messy room...

**Legend of Zelda 4 life** - Thanks. As for what Zelda's spell did to him... Hehe, you'll find out now and it can't really be cleared up within one chapter... Hehe...

* * *

She had gotten the spell wrong… it wasn't supposed to happen this way… "I… but I memorized the spell perfectly…" she said depressingly.

"But you're an idiot!" Vega snapped, crossly pulling grass from his hair. "That spell was far too advanced for you!"

Anger welled up in her and she clenched the grass in her fists. "And you're a rude and pathetic excuse for a star being!"

Growling in frustration, the star took a deep breath and forced out, as calmly as he could, "Let's just calm down… And we'll both feel better."

She said nothing but tried to compose herself. He was right. With spell working as it was…

"Wait… What's going on? What just happened?" asked an extremely confused Link.

Before Zelda could respond, the star said bitterly, "Thinking she was a high class spellcaster, she decided to try a very advanced spell. Now she mangled both our souls."

The page just stared blankly at both of them. "What?"

Vega remained silent, deciding to let the witch answer that time. Fidgeting with her fingers, she thought of not saying anything, but she felt the growing irritation of the star. "I memorized a spell the moment I saw him fall… It was very complex and it really has no other practical use except for imprisonment or coercion… I thought I might be able to use it when I finally encountered him… It was supposed to tie two souls together… just enough so that the two souls couldn't stray too far from each other… But… I must have said something wrong or translated it wrong…"

"No, you just don't have enough experience," snarled Vega.

She ignored his still present irritation. "Whatever I messed up… I messed up big time and now… We might as well be sharing a soul now…"

Link continued to stare blankly at them for a moment or two before bursting out into laughter. "I-I can't believe…" he couldn't even speak a sentence correctly without another burst of laughter in between words. He laughed so hard, he couldn't stand without hunching over.

"What's so funny?!" Both Zelda and Vega demanded.

Managing to stifle his laughter just enough so he could speak, Link sputtered out, "Haha, never leave a woman to do a man's work… Ahaha!"

"Belt up, Nancy boy!"

As with most of the language the star seemed to use, Zelda just stared at him strangely. Even Link stopped his laughter to give the same strange look. Feeling the puzzlement from Zelda, Vega just forked an eyebrow.

"You seriously didn't understand that?" he asked.

Zelda just confirmed it with a shake of the head. Link then finally caught that what the star had said was probably… offensive.

"Wait, what did you say to me?" the page asked. Just in case it wasn't something offensive, however, he checked his belt as he said that.

"I told you to shut up." said the star simply.

"And what was that other part?" asked Link suspiciously.

Vega thought got a moment before answering. "Hell if I'm saying it again, you have a sword." He said it as if it was common sense.

Link's nostrils flared and he stomped forward threateningly, but he did no action.

"Ooh, I'm so scared." The star said flatly, not even attempting to feign fear. "Really, you shouldn't be angry at me but at Ducky, here. She was originally planning to tie me to you."

The young witch shot the celestial being a dirty look. Between the two of them sharing two sets of emotion, she wasn't sure the anger and irritation would go away. She was just glad the page wasn't included, because the look on his face was absolutely poisonous. And it was right at Zelda.

"You were going to… Am I just some farm animal to experiment on?" he interrogated. His eyes bored right into hers, their smoldering glare piercing down into her soul. With a jeer and a bitter tongue, he said "Turning me into a wolf and making me your furry pet wasn't enough, apparently."

The blond girl said nothing but felt very uneasy. Link was not her friend. He was a sexist little boy with a talent for swords that couldn't see past his own nose. At the same time, when he put it like that it sounded horrible. It made her sound like a heartless wench-what witches were typically made out to be.

As she fingered the hat symbolizing her trade, she realized that was what bothered her. She was a witch and, while her prime motive for going on this journey was to find her family-if she had any-, the other part was to disprove the stereotypes that were normally associated with her kind.

"What in tarnation's goin' on?!" Talon's voice rang through the ranch.

It was then that the three realized that weren't supposed to be there. Worst of all, Link was a wolf the last time Talon had been around and there had been a very noisy confrontation to boot. Vega and Zelda were pretty much exhausted and covered in grass. How would that look with an unknown swordsman wearing a gnarly collar standing by them?

The star cursed quietly before looking to the two with him. He racked his brains for what to do and scowled as he realized he was now sharing a soul with a pathetic excuse for a witch. Greatly aggravated, he caught a glimpse of the night sky and furrowed his brow. It wasn't the time to be a whiny ass. What would _they_ think of him if he just stood there feeling sorry for himself? He wasn't about to let them get the last laugh…

So without any word of warning, Vega ran. He felt the protest from Zelda, but he wasn't running away from the ranch-no, that kind of cowardice was too low for him. He turned the corner leading to the residency, climbed the wall like a mountain lion up a tree, tossed himself into the window he had come from and was back in the room he had escaped from. It seemed like a waste to have gone through all that trouble to get out only to go back… but at the same time, the sun was going to rise soon…

He yawned as he saw the first rays of the sun peeking out over the mountains of Hyrule, turning the sky from a dark navy to soft purples and oranges… He'd never seen the sunrise. Living in the skies brought a different view to the sunrise… a far less magical view. It was pretty… No, pretty was an understatement. It was beautiful and definitely a view he could get used to.

Unfortunately, he was reminded of his new condition as he felt a horrible feeling of embarrassment come over him. The witch forced him into that thinking he would have no choice to but to grant her wish-whatever frivolous desire it was. Still, he had to share his soul and emotions… with a woman. He had nothing against the opposite sex, but men and women had different thought processes, different reactions to different things…

He sighed, still feeling the embarrassment from the little witch. He sat down on the bed and kicked off his boots. He might as well get some sleep in before the girl busted in and decided not to let him have any rest whatsoever. He knew she was going to… that's what her emotions told him, or at least greatly hinted at. He grimaced but… there wasn't much he could do about it now. He had to live with it…

Because he wasn't going to go back to the sky.

* * *

"I hate him…" Zelda muttered into her pillow… "I hate him _so_ much!" Even at that moment, she could feel the star contently asleep in the other room. Normally, she would think that he couldn't possibly understand the embarrassment she was going through… but she knew full well that he knew. They shared a soul now. The only thing she hadn't messed up enough was their individuality. They shared emotions… but not thoughts. The witch hoped that he felt her hatred for him in his sleep.

Still, she couldn't stay in the room forever. The morning was still passing by even as she moped. She took solace in the fact that Vega was asleep and couldn't reprimand her again, so she pushed herself off of her bed and went for the door. She thought of waking the star up just to spite him, but somehow she thought he would expect that. So she was going to not wake him up… to spite him…

She tried not to think of how that didn't make sense as she opened up the door and trekked down to the kitchen area. It was a nice little kitchen, very homey and what she could only assume was typical for a ranch. It wasn't terribly large, but then again, it didn't need to be. Ranches didn't usually play host to terrible amount of guests, from her understanding. It had the basic necessities and a nice little table where everyone could have their meals. There was a door leading to the outside, probably mostly for Talon and the ranch hand, Ingo, since they had to wake up so early in the mornings.

Zelda was a bit surprised to see that Malon was the only one there, preparing what seemed to be a late breakfast.

"If you're wondering," said the farm girl slyly, "I sent him off to get some eggs."

The blond girl bit her lip and felt her cheeks burn a bit and, perhaps a little defensively, she said, "I wasn't thinking about him! I'm telling you, nothing happened with me and Link, last night!"

"Sure, I believe you." She responded a bit sarcastically. "I have to say, I never expected that you have a boyfriend who was pageboy for the castle… He's a bit far from home, isn't he?"

"Yes, but he's not my boyfriend! He's not even my friend!" the witch snapped. The last comment suddenly reminded her of the sour note she and Link left on before Talon had decided to grace them with his presence. Getting a little flustered, she just forced herself to sit down by the table.

Malon just gave a little glance of almost disturbed surprise and then said carefully, "Alright, I believe you… So… is that other guy going to be waking up soon?"

Feeling a little bad for having snapped at the girl like that, Zelda avoided eye contact with the girl and fiddled with one of the creases of the table. "Probably not. He usually sleeps during the day."

"He does? How strange." Malon commented.

_Not really. Not compared to last night._ Zelda thought, remembering Zant. He had to have been the weirdest fellow she had ever seen… And he was after the sleeping star she was now connected to…

She remembered that Link also said he was a servant to a man called Ganondorf. Who was that? Where had she heard the name before?

"Malon," she said.

"What?" asked the farm girl.

"I've heard the name before but I'm not sure where… who is Ganondorf?" Zelda inquired.

Malon turned again from what she was doing and forked an eyebrow at the witch. She had an "are you serious" look about her. Realizing that she wasn't kidding, Malon said, "He works at the castle as the king's advisor. Everyone seems to love him, despite the fact that he's a foreigner. I really couldn't tell you much else, though. I've only to be Castle Town once in my life, and I was very little."

Nodding in understanding, Zelda understood why Link would know of him, then. Before he was caught up with her, he lived in Castle Town and worked at the castle everyday.

So if Zant worked for Ganondorf, then that must've meant that Ganondorf wanted the star… But if he was the king's advisor, then why did he need a star? Perhaps he was looking for the star to wish the king better as well? She wasn't sure. She didn't know him personally so she couldn't really say. However, from her experience the previous night she doubted that. Zant seemed very intent on getting Vega to go with him, no matter what the cost. The use of such strange magic and creatures didn't sit well with her… it just felt evil, really… But all that really proved was that Ganondorf was forceful in his methods, not that his intentions were bad. The magic was just something she wasn't used to, so calling it evil was really accusatory.

"I thought women usually spoke a lot in kitchens." Came Link's sexist banter.

The young witch seriously considered turning him back into a wolf but didn't act on it since Malon was present. Besides that, she did need to speak to Link about Zant and Ganondorf, and talking to a person did let her feel less crazy - even if the wolf really was human.

"I wouldn't know," Malon said cheerily as she took the basket of eggs Link handed her, "I'm the only girl here so no one to relate to. Thanks for getting the eggs! If you wait over with Zelda, I'll serve them in a few minutes."

The page pulled up a chair and sat across from the blond girl, looking almost bored. She wondered whether it was wise to bring up the conversation now in front of the farm girl, but she seemed to be busying herself with cooking so…

"So how do you know Zant?" she asked him.

"Hmm?" Link mused blankly. After registering the question he then said, "Oh, I said before: he works for Lord Ganondorf. I don't know him personally or anything like that, but just about everybody knows it. I just know that Zant is supposedly from a whole different realm. He somehow got here and now he works for select people in the Court- under the king's, orders of course."

That last part confused her a bit, so she asked, "Why not just work for the king?"

"The king already has his own private taskforce, and the deal goes to before the current king I think. Anyways, he seems to favor only Lord Ganondorf and I'm pretty sure Ganondorf has arranged so that Zant works only for him." He said.

"Oh… So… if Zant came here for Vega," she started.

Link nodded and finished for her, "It's most likely under Ganondorf's orders."

"Do you have any idea what he could want with Vega?" Zelda asked.

The page shrugged and said, "I don't know. It could be anything. I'd assume he has the same goals as us, though, being friends with the king and all."

"Okay you two, talk time's over," said Malon, "I just finished making breakfast."

* * *

Before anyone asks: No, I'm not about to explain what happened after Vega ran away. I'm pretty sure I gave you enough information that you have a good idea what may have happened.

Other than that... Uh... nothing to say, really...


	8. The Council Gathers

Now for the PEOPLE!

**la generala**: Ah don't worry about Link being a sexist. We'll be getting into that multiple times throughout the story. And yes, I love vega's personality too. :D

**fleets**: Yesss, yessssss, you see my evil intentions. BWAHAHA! But don't worry too much about that, I'm just really putting that in for comic relief.

**LadyZayriah**: Yup, Link's human again... but he's still wearing that gnarly collar Zelda put on him, so who knows how long it'll last! ... Hehe, I like that word... Gnarly.

**darthritter86**: From what I understand, it's my pacing you're talking about. And if it's not that, then I don't have the slightest clue as to what you're talking about. Yes, my pacing is for, the most part, all over the place, but it's not the worst. If you think my pacing's whack, then don't read of LE Modessit, Jr.'s stuff. He'll skip years sometimes and only give you the slightest hints until you learn how long exactly it's been like ten chapters later. I read a lot of his work, so that's probably where I get it from... I'll try to tame my pacing a bit, but I'm perfectly fine with it and it doesn't seem to bother anyone else, so it'll be a little tough.

* * *

Finally I'm able to update! I'm sorry it's late but FFN was giving me a little trouble yesterday. But I won't keep you waiting, here you go. It's kind of short but the whole chapter was forced writin so...

* * *

Vega was awake even before the witch marched into the room angrily. Maybe it was Malon protesting Zelda going to wake him, or maybe it was the witch's lingering negative emotions that insisted on plaguing him even his dreams. Worst of all, it was only the middle of the day!

"Wake up, dear cousin." Zelda said it so sweetly but he could sense the bitterness behind it. He didn't even need to share emotions with her to know it.

"Cousins are we?" He growled and as he grudgingly sat up. "I wonder about that, Ducky."

He received an icy glare from the witch, which he gladly returned.

"Whoa… that hair is amazing…" Malon whispered. That caught both Zelda's and Vega's attention. "I didn't know people could have silver hair…"

_They can't…_ Zelda thought with a frown. "He's very ashamed of it," she said quickly, ignoring the tinge of anger and annoyance from the star. "Could you be so kind as not to tell anyone?"

Malon glanced at the witch as if she had forgotten the girl had been there at all. Then she snapped back into reality and nodded anxiously saying, "Yes, of course!" She glanced back at Vega and then said, "You shouldn't be ashamed, though… I think that hair is very lovely…"

The star just smiled a smile that looked pleasant enough, but was really thinking "Oh what I would do to get away from this wench…" This wench being Zelda, of course. He had nothing against the farm girl… except her idiocy…

"Malon, could you give me and cousin a moment?" Zelda asked sweetly.

The auburn haired girl nodded and left. Zelda closed the door in that slow, creepy fashion that normally resulted in one of those scary confrontations. Vega recalled one of his sisters doing that frequently when he caused her trouble. However, Zelda was not his sister. She was a little unskilled, brat who wouldn't be trying any magic on him anytime soon.

"We're leaving as soon as you can get your boots on and your hood up." She spat.

"Psh, and what do you plan on doing, Ducky? You know I won't be granting any wishes." He said, just as bad temperedly.

"We have to go to the castle. It's a long ways off, you might change your mind." She said.

His back was turned on her as he laced up his boots, but he forked an eyebrow anyway. "I doubt that highly but seeing as I have no choice…" he grumbled.

He could sense her satisfaction. Finishing up his first boot, he glanced back at her. He always considered himself a gentleman… so why did he want to wipe that smug little grin off of her face? Grunting, he laced up his second boot, tucked his hair into the back of his shirt and then flipped the hood on over his head.

Still, he wasn't going to be letting her get the last laugh.

"So, tell me Ducky… Did they think you were bonking your little pet back there?" he asked with a grin.

It took her a second to get his drift but when she did, oh, did her face get red. She said nothing, but he could feel her embarrassment and he relished it… which embarrassed her more and caused her to speed up her pace.

_I'm not sure who's worse, him or Link!_ She thought.

* * *

The Council had assembled. Its members and guests sat at the large, rounded table in the conference hall. Ganondorf felt an immense sense of satisfaction sitting in the seat of the king. Someday soon, at the next council meeting, it would truly be his seat. Still, he hid his smile and looked somberly at the Council. Everyone was present:

Carolus, a thin, horse faced man who handled the affairs of the Lanaryu province; Anya, she was the only woman in the council and quite attractive - she had no doubt used her charms to get so high up to become the one who handled the Eldin province; Jerrick, the short yet rough looking man who was in charge of the smaller Ordana province; Eugen, blond and childlike in appearance and ever the optimist who had the Faron province in his hands; Reku, a Zora woman he'd never met before, simply there as a representative of her race; Damodara, a Goron, there much for the same purposes as his Zora counterpart; Odran, the scar faced and disciplined man was the captain of the guard, stood on one side of Ganondorf; and then there was Quinn, the redheaded Royal Wizard standing on the other side of him, who obviously didn't like him - the feeling was mutual.

All were silent, waiting for him to speak. Ganondorf decided to let the suspense die. "As most of you know, the King is dying, and he has yet to establish a successor. And that is why we are here today. The king has appointed me to represent him in choosing his successor, it is just up to us to decide who that is going to be."

Anya, her hand cradling her jaw in a bored fashion, let herself voice the question on everyone's mind. "How do you plan on doing that, Lord Dragmire?"

"The only fair way I can possibly think of, dear Anya of Eldin," he starts, "Careful deliberation and then a vote."

"And how long would that take?" asked Carolus.

In any other situation, we could take as long as we please… however, I do not think the king has long for this world." Ganondorf says grimly.

There is a burst of whispering among the table but it dies down quickly. However, the silence does not remain as Jerrick says, "You make it sound so easy, Lord Dragmire. This is a room full of politicians; you know as well as I do that everyone would jump at the chance to become the next monarch of Hyrule."

"I already mentioned deliberations-"

Eugen cuts off Ganon then, saying, "And with deliberations, I'm sure we'll be able to choose the perfect successor! You need to look on the brighter side of things!"

"An' he needs to look at reality…" mutters Odran from the side to himself.

"Royal Wizard, Quinn," Reku calls, "Have you been able to figure out what ails the king?"

The redhead fidgets with his staff and says, "The best physicians in Hyrule, my colleagues and myself have all looked at the king and we have not been able to figure out what is wrong with him." He briefly gives a suspicious glance to Ganondorf before saying, "However, I do have a theory… but I cannot confirm it yet."

"Can we at least here some of your theory?" Damodara asked. Though, the way he had said it, it was more of a command than a question.

"There could be treachery…" the wizard started, but before any outrages could be voiced, he quickly added, "But I have nothing to prove it with."

Ganondorf paid no mind to it. It was not the time to think of that wizard's scheming. He would deal with him later. As for now, he had to continue his show.

"As interesting as this is, the reasons for the king's illness can be discussed after this meeting. I insist we start on the deliberations." Said the Gerudo calmly.

Everyone nodded and muttered their agreements, but the dark man already knew this was going to be a difficult few days…

* * *

They had taken off, Malon telling them that she would say goodbye to her father and Ingo for them. Link honestly didn't care about that; he was more focused on the fact that Zelda was acting weird. Well, that girl always acted weird, but from the one day he knew her, she was acting stranger than usual. She'd look back at him, get red in the face and scowl, then look straight ahead. And whenever she did this, the star, Vega, grinned in satisfaction. Confused, he finally couldn't resist asking,

"Vega, did you say anything to her?" he asked.

The hooded pseudo-ranger merely said, "I just reminded her of events earlier this morning."

Link said nothing, not really understanding what the star was saying.

"So how far is this castle, of yours?" Vega asked the page.

"Pretty far. I'm sorry to say, but you'll probably be stuck with her emotions for a while…"

The star grunted and looked around, wishing he could be asleep. Grass, grass, an occasional tree or rock… more grass. He didn't think he'd ever seen this much _nothing_ in his life. Farther off there was a mountain, maybe even a volcano. He couldn't really tell since it was so far away. He scrunched his nose, not realizing how big Hyrule was. From the skies it always looked so small… but now that he was traversing it…

"Not as easy as it looks, eh?" Zelda sneered from ahead.

The star decided not to grace her snide comment with an answer. Rather, he began to think about how Hyrule looked from above. He had observed it a few times, so he could recall some of its geography… but not all of it.

Zelda sensed the star's irritation and concealed her own little evil smile.

"Do either of you have a map I can look at?" the star finally asked.

"And why would you need that, oh great star being?" Zelda asked bitterly.

"Oh, give him a break you crazy woman." Link told her. He reached into his bag and pulled out a map, handing it to Vega. The star quickly took it and whipped it open, looking over it. Link couldn't help but feel bad for the guy. He was sharing emotions with a woman, that was bad enough, but that woman also seemed to be perpetually moody. All that anger going on between couldn't be good for them.

Meanwhile, Vega was just trying to find a quicker way to get to the castle. The faster he could get there, the faster he could find an actual master of magic and get them to lift the stupid witch's curse. He looked over the route they were presumably going through, and saw that they were wrong.

"You people must be daft, we're going the long way." He snapped at them.

"Hm?" Link looked over the star's shoulder at the map. "Oh yeah… I suppose there is a shorter way, but it's more dangerous."

"What are you two talking about?" Zelda said as she squeezed herself in between the two men to get a look at the map.

"This," Vega says, pointing to a forested area in between their location and Castle Town, "is what we're talking about, Ducky."

"A forest?" Zelda asked. She forked and eyebrow and then looked up at Link, "Why are you leading us around it? Why can't we just go through it?"

"The girl's sensible at last!" Vega agrees. For once, the two aren't feeling shared anger.

The page just gave the two a confused look. "Can either of you two read? Those woods are called The _Lost Woods_ for a reason."

"Oh phooey!" The witch scoffed. "It's just a name. It is not like we'll really get lost."

"Well, there's the name and what lives in there too." Link adds, "I can understand why Vega doesn't know what's in it, but even a country bum like you should know of the stories."

Irritation flashed through the star from Zelda. In turn a surge of irritation flashed through him to her because he didn't want to be irritated. Those two irritations combined turned to a shared anger… _again._

"Listen," Zelda said as she marched up to Link. "It's just a silly forest. No matter what stories they have, it'll be faster and we'll save the king faster! Isn't that important to you!?" she repeatedly jabbed her finger in his chest as she spoke. "Don't make me put you back on a leash!" she threatened.

The page's eyes narrowed and he finally gave in, but not without a fight. "Fine, have it your way! If you get killed in there that's fine by me! At least _I_ might be able to survive!"

* * *

I have to say, my favorite part o fthis chapter was Ganondorf's segment. You know, I just created the character yesterday, just for the hell of it, and Quinn is already one of my favorites. I don't have many red haired people that aren't bitches... maybe that's why I like him. :B

Also, living in America sucks sometimes. Why? Because we're so caught up in racism. You can't use this word for that kinda people you can't that word for that kind of people... It's so bad, I'm too paranoid to call Ganondorf black because I'm afraid someone's going to chew me out for it. D:

So yeah... short chapter... Sorry. Not much going on too... so sorry...


	9. Inside the Lost Woods

Just so you all know, I did update Sunday. I tried for Saturday, but FFN was giving me issues. So before you read this chapter, if you haven't read the last one, please do.

Anyways, something important to state- I may have to up the rating to M. Why? Not really for Zelda's, Link's and Vega's segments. They're just being idiot teenagers (except for Vega who's an idiot adult. He's 32, just so you all know, he just doesn't look it at all). I might have to up the rating for Ganondorf's segments. With him I'll be entering the wild world of politics, conspiracies, alliances, and so on. I can't say too much because I'd spoil, but simply put, his segments will handle more mature themes. I think by the chapter after next, I'll have to up it. So if you don't like M rated material... I'm sorry but there's not much I can do. I'm just trying to be realistic.

* * *

It was rather nice, sharing feelings in which no one was annoyed or angry for once. If they could get along like that more often, Vega and Zelda wouldn't have minded their curse so much.

Link, however, was now feeling very disgruntled and angry. That stupid star always talked about them being idiots, but did he know how idiotic this whole thing was? The Lost Woods were cursed! Growling, grunting, and cursing, he reluctantly had to lead the way, though. He was the only one who had traveled so far. The witch knew nothing about the area they were traveling and… and the star being was just a jerk.

It wasn't long before they reached the Lost Woods. It wasn't that hard to find, either. It was a sea of trees. One didn't even have to be in it to know that just stepping in there would immediately take you to a dark place. The treetops were so thick the sunlight probably couldn't sneak its way through the canopy. Though it was still daylight outside, the hooting of owls could be heard from in within that sea of trees…

They entered warily, even Vega and Zelda who had been skeptical of Link's presumption of the forest being dangerous.

The young witch, upon taking two steps into the forest was immediately regretting it. She received a look from the star which clearly meant "don't you fare ask to turn back". Would she ever get used to sharing feelings with this man?

"So…" she started to Link, "How do we know which way to go? You have a compass or something, right?"

"Oh, now she thinks about _that_. Feh, women. We don't know where we're going because compasses don't work here. If you had bothered to ask why the is so suspicious, I would've told you!" The collared page spat.

She then turned right on her heel and said, "In that case we shouldn't even be…" she paused seeing that she couldn't find the way out.

Vega turned where she looked and frowned, feeling her slight fear. "Well… this is a bit squiffy, isn't it?"

"If we die, it's both your faults." Link told them bitterly. He didn't even look back, but kept going through the forest. "I said before, they call these the _Lost Woods_ for a reason."

_That doesn't explain how a forest could just close in on us in three steps you sod…_ The star thought bitterly.

Both the silvertop and the blond quickly caught up with the page. The two that had made the suggestion to go through suddenly felt really stupid, and neither of them would have had to share their emotions to feel it. Every single tree, every blade of grass, every little fern looked exactly the same as the last. Worst of all, as they kept going, all three could say they felt as if they were being watched. All three of them dismissed it merely as curious animals but it didn't quite feel like it… Neither Vega nor Zelda dared speak a word, though, because they didn't want to hear another "I told you so" from Link.

Time seemed almost indeterminate there. They know it passed them by, they just didn't know how much passed them by. And since the sun was obscured by the thick leaves of the trees, they couldn't tell if it was dusk, night, or still the late afternoon. It was probably night, though, since Vega seemed slightly more active… but even the star couldn't tell. They did need to stop walking, however. While Link could keep going, the star and the witch were simply not used to traversing for so long at a time.

None of them felt comfortable stopping.

"How far do you think we've gone?" Vega asked Link.

"I have no idea. It seems like we've been going in circles." Said the page.

The star furrowed his brow and then asked, "You mentioned that there were stories about this place… What kind of stories, exactly?"

The page chuckled bitterly and said, "Not the good kind. Back at the castle, there were all kinds of strange stories coming from this place. Compasses would not work, people went in but never came back… stories of strange creatures coming and kidnapping people, to do what, nobody knows… I even heard something about a monster owl once – around as tall as a small horse. The point is, all the stories point to this being a dangerous place." At the last part, he gave Zelda a severe look.

Zelda just pouted grumpily at the floor.

"Just acknowledge that you were wrong." The star commented. "I have."

She glared but then she looked up. "What if one of you climbed up one of the trees. We could see which way is the quickest way out."

Link raised his eyebrows, "Smart idea for a girl."

"Do you really want to have a tail again?" She threatened.

Her humphed but let it go. "Fine, but I won't be climbing."

She sensed the irritation from Vega. "Bloody humans, always fighting… never can rely on them…" he grumbled as he got up. As fast as he got up, he went up a tree and climbed it like a monkey. Both Link and Zelda found themselves gaping at how fast he disappeared up the tree.

"Do you think that have trees in heaven?" Link asked.

Zelda just shrugged.

Vega kept climbing. He was glad he liked to climb trees as a child… something his sister always reprimanded him for. But what didn't she reprimand him for? He felt a pang of homesickness come over him at that thought… But he shook it off quickly when he almost slipped on the bark. He couldn't think about that now. Besides, he could never go back. The only one he would miss was Estrella, everyone else could go jump into the Andromeda galaxy for all he cared.

The trunk began to thin, telling him he was nearing the top, but he couldn't get any higher. The placement of the branches didn't allow him too. He considered forcibly making the branches move, but the thought of causing harm to the tree sickened him. After all, what had the tree done? Nothing and… and he felt lightheaded.

Strange… Why would he feel lightheaded? He didn't use as much oxygen as a human did… in fact, he could even go without it for a while so altitude had nothing to do with it. The tree wasn't that high either, he was sure of that. Snorting it off, he began to climb back down. Not as fast as he came up, though. Getting down was much harder than going up… especially since he felt so… strange.

He plopped down to the floor, ignoring the pain from the bottom of his feet. How ironic that he could stand falling through the atmosphere of a planet without any repercussions but landing on his feet hurt.

"I couldn't… Where did they get off to?" He asked out loud.

Neither Zelda nor Link was there. This concerned him greatly. Link being gone was one thing, but Zelda was another. In fact… her disappearance explained why he felt so lightheaded. Him and Zelda being separated was like pulling a blanket from two different sides. Their soul would stretch and stretch until it broke… and when it broke… He gritted his teeth. He needed to find her… but where were they? A soul connection didn't mean he knew her exact location…

He growled in annoyance… but also in worry. If he strayed too far from Zelda, both their lives could end. He wasn't sure if she knew this, either, not that it really mattered. One way or another, they'd have to find each other; Vega for self-preservation, Zelda because she wanted her little wish. But it would be better if he could find her as soon as possible.

Whatever had happened, he actually found himself hoping she would be alright… mostly because whatever happened to her happened to him. So for his own sake, he hoped that at least Link was willing to protect. While the little idiot of a witch was capable of taking care of herself, she had the temper of an octorok and could do some pretty rash things (such as casting a spell that cursed herself and himself)… While Link did have a tendency to instill rage in her the likes of which he had never felt before, at the same time it did turn her rage in the right direction…

_But never mind that…_ he thought, glancing at the ground. He may not have been able to track Zelda through their shared soul… but he was good at tracking the traditional way.

* * *

Zelda struggled and struggled but couldn't get the cloth out of her mouth, nor could she undo the ties on her wrists. There was something about those ropes that made them impervious to any magic she had… Not that she could do much anyways. She was blindfolded and she felt extremely weak, and not just from being tired. It was very uncomfortable, though. Whatever was carrying her walked strangely, as if its legs were too short for its body… that and its hands were on her butt, which pretty much sealed the creature's fate as soon as she could be let go.

It was all that stupid Link's fault. He was the page, he should've been able to sense an attack! But _no_, instead he gets a decent sized rock to the head that knocks him out as soon as it hits him. The next thing she knows, she pushed down on her stomach being tied up like a goat for the slaughter hou…

She gulped. That was the worst possible analogy she could come up with. She found herself biting on her gag nervously, not knowing what else to do. At least they hadn't caught Vega… but it was strange… if these people, or whatever, had been following them… Why capture them when Vega was out of sight?

She felt herself be thrown on the floor. She said something very unladylike as she spat grass out from her mouth. She felt her blindfold being untied and she really hoped they'd be stupid enough to untie her wrists, too. The blackness disappeared from her sight and she saw the green of the floor. Something grabbed her and rolled her over so she could sit on her fanny. If she wasn't still gagged she would've squealed at the sight.

Strange creatures… they looked almost like walking tree stumps with leafy masks. And those leafy masks had strange little marking on them that resembled some sort of strange face.

She heard a thump by her and saw that one of the taller, thinner creatures had just dumped Link on the grass next to her. He was still knocked out.

"What are you going to do with us?" is what she wanted to ask, but every time she opened her mouth to speak, she would close it abruptly. Did these creatures even speak Hylian? It wasn't so much that question as she just didn't know how to talk to them. Was she supposed to be polite… did she get straight to the point or open with a threat? Was she even supposed to speak?

"Rejoice young humans!" finally came a warbled high pitched voice from one of the squatter creatures, perhaps not realizing Link was still out cold. "We have saved you from the Silver-White Demon!"

* * *

And now I add some Wind Waker elements. The Koroks! I like them better as the Kokiri but... the Koroks fit better for this story. You'll find out more about the little misguided buggers next chapter.

Normal update schedule will continue, however, as always, I give you the empty promise that I might have an early chapter waiting for you.


	10. Koroks

What's this? _Three_ updates in one week?! _And there's going to be one to two more?! **It's a sign of the apocalypse!**_ Yup... world's going to end. Nah, I'm kidding. Anyways, i don't know why. As soon as the writer's block left, I just felt like writing this and writing this... So I did.

In other news... My sister had a baby. I am now officially an aunt. MY NIECE IS FUCKING ADORABLE! I'VE NEVER SEEN SUCH A CUTE CHILD, OHMYGAWD!

_FAST PACED CHAPTER_. If anyone complains, I'll gut them... _with a wooden stick._ Try to imagine how painful that will be, kay?

* * *

"Silver white demon? You mean Vega?" Zelda asked incredulously. "He's the furthest thing from a demon!" _I think…_

"Only because you've never seen a demon before," the strange thing said to her. "How can you honestly say he isn't one?"

"Because he's a star being not a demon!" She snapped.

"Star beings don't have brown eyes." The thing pointed out.

Zelda could say nothing to that. From what she read, that was true… Star beings commonly had very white skin, silvery white hair, and light colored eyes… Vega only fit in two of those categories… She shook the thoughts out of her head. He was _not_ a demon! A rude and vulgar man who spoke funny, yes, but not a demon. "He's just a freak, then! But he's not a demon…"

"Then how come he's making you two follow him!" Another creature added in.

"If anything, I forced him…" Zelda said.

"Are you sure that's not just what he wants you to think?" Another one asked, seeming so sure of itself.

The young witch just gave them all a flat look and said just as flatly, "Yes."

The small group of leaf masked things remained quiet for a moment before another pointed to Link's neck and went, "Ah, what about this thing! This collar is filled with dark magic!"

"That was me. _I_ did that." The witch said proudly.

There was another silence after that. The creatures just stared at her.

"What? What are you all looking at me for?"

"_She's_ the demon!" One of the creatures shrieked.

"Wait what?!" She squeaked. None of the creatures bothered to give her an explanation, however, as they immediately went and picked her up again. "Wait, what are you going to do to me?! I am _not_ a demon! Let me go!" She shrieked.

"Huh… whas going on?" Link mumbled as she shifted on the grass.

"Link!" She cried out, "Link, as much as I hate to ask for your help: _help_!"

"What? Why does my head hurt…?" Link muttered, trying to get up. It took him a few moments to realize he was tied up and when he did, "What in Din's name?!"

"LINK! HELP ME, DAMMIT!" Zelda screamed.

Link sat up quickly, trying to get his ties undone. The weird creatures carrying Zelda off seemed to be ignoring him and all swarming around the witch, taking her deeper into the forest. He cursed himself for not being able to undo the binds. If only those things had been stupid enough to tie his hands on his front, not behind his back! He may not have liked Zelda, but dammit, a part of what he was taught was always to save a damsel in distress… And she was technically a damsel and she was definitely distressing!

Apparently so was he…

Getting so frustrated, he decided he might as well chew through the ropes. He highly doubted he still had the canines he had had when he was a wolf, but there was nothing else he could do. Already, the witch's annoying voice was fading into the forest.

_Have to save her… have to save her…_ he kept thinking. Until… _Wait a minute… She put this demon damned collar on me, threatens to turn me into a wolf half the time I'm with her… Why the hell do I want to save her?_ It was probably just from the shock of waking up to in the particular situation he had woken up in… because now that he thought it through, it wasn't something he really wanted to deal with. Those strange little tree people, whatever they were, had just saved him a whole lot of trouble. He was free from that girl's leash now, all he had to do was take off the collar!

… And the ropes… He should probably figure out the ropes first…

He kept futilely attempting to chew through the ropes, doing the best he could to ignore the scraping the scratchy ropes were no doubt causing on the insides of his cheeks on his tongue. He paused when he heard the crunching of dead leaves…

Footsteps? It could be Vega… or more of those walking tree stumps. He frowned, not sure what to do… But, either way it couldn't be bad. The walking tree stumps didn't seem to have too much of an interest in him after all.

"Hey!" He cried out. "Is anyone there?"

"Your stupidity continues to amaze me." Vega said, now easily identifiable since his hood was down and his long silver hair was all around his face. His boots stopped only about a foot away from the page's nose. "How did you get yourself tied up like that? Humans, you all cause such aggro…"

The collared page just glared up at him. "Are you going to untie me or not?"

The star just lazily knelt down and then flicked Link's nose. "Where's the duck, Nancy boy?"

He snapped at the star's fingers, but received no reaction from it.

"You're seriously going to be that way about it?" Asked the star as if it was some kind of game.

Link didn't answer.

Vega sighed in a frustrated way and said, "Come now, I can understand you don't care for the duck but if she dies, I die too. And if I die, you can't get your wish and your precious little king can just whither away."

Logic could ruin a tantrum… The star had a point there, but he didn't have to like it. "These weirdo things went and carried her off; knocked me out too out." He feebly attempted to point his head in the direction they headed off, "That way."

It was only then that Vega proceeded to untie Link's binds. As soon as Link stretched out a bit, the star went on ahead only saying, "Fill me in as we go." The page also noted the quickened pace at which the silver haired fellow went.

And so, the page explained what he could as far as he could remember. As he described the strange creatures to the star being, he noted the annoyed expression upon his face as he muttered, "Koroks…"

"What about coco?" Link asked.

"_Koroks_." Vega corrected. "They used to be called Kokiri but whatever cultural change they put upon themselves…" He looked as if he was struggling for the correct way to put it, "They've gotten a bit… dim. They probably thought I was some sort of demon and in a potty attempt to rescue you, knocked you out."

The page frowned, "What does this have to do with toilets?"

The star just rolled his eyes.

Meanwhile, Zelda had given up her screaming and had just gone to pouting. The creatures that weren't carrying her were all circling her cautiously. Had they not been saying "Demon! We must punish the demon!" she would've thought they were kind of cute. Still, they seemed to have mellowed out a bit so she chanced a question,

"Can you tell me where you're taking me?"

"We're taking you to see the Great Deku Tree!" said one of the circling Koroks. "When he lays eyes on you, he will tell us how we should punish you!"

She did _not_ like the sound of that. She didn't like the sound of punishment and she didn't like the fact that it was going to be decided by a _tree_. These little leaf masked things had to be insane or just really stupid! She wondered which one of the many trees in this haunted forest was their "great" tree.

Unintentionally, the witch squealed as she was dropped onto the grassy floor before the biggest tree she had ever seen. She tried not to squeal again at the sight of the tree. It was enormous, but the size wasn't what was so intimidating about. What made it so intimidating was the way the trunk was gnarled and shaped… Almost like an old man's face! There was a sharp, crooked nose; drooping, wrinkly eyes; sagging edges that could pass for "cheek bones"; even the bark beneath its nose was discolored enough so it seemed like a beard! And the thing that was even more intimidating than its appearance… it was the sheer power surrounding this tree! She had never felt so much magical energy… or such ancient magical energy.

So busy gaping was she, that she hadn't even noticed the leader of the little creatures had stepped up in front f her and bowed down to the tree. "Great Deku Tree, we found this demon in the woods! She has imprisoned and cursed a strange albino and a young swordsman! Please, great Deku Tree, guide us! What are we to do to this she-devil?"

_She-devil?! That sounds worse than demon!_ She thought bitterly, being knocked out of her daze.

**"My little children… In your change of appearance, your mental processing seems to have diminished. This is no demon; this young lady is a witch."**

The blond girl looked around furtively. It took her a moment to realize that the voice, the strange voice that she didn't really hear but _felt_… it came from the ancient tree!

"A witch? She's a witch?" One of the creatures asked.

**"A witch… though, I can sense that she has cursed the two that came with her. However, this witch shall receive no punishment for it."**

She was too busy being amazed by the great tree to really pay attention to what it had said. The words… she wasn't hearing them… She _was_ feeling them! She could feel the words form in her very soul and shake it. Her eyes glittered in admiration at the great tree. It was at that moment she wished she could take back every bad thing she had said about this forest… because the forest was that tree… and that tree was pure magic. A spirit of untold power that she'd only heard of in legends. This was a guardian of the forest, and therefore, a guardian of life…

"No punishment?" Another Korok asked, "But she cursed those two men!"

**"All will be clear in time."** Was all the tree said. **"They will find us and then everything will be clear."**

Adding a pleading tone to her voice, Zelda than asked, "Does this mean I can be untied now?"

* * *

Ah, one day those three will get along... And don't worry, they will.

Next chapter is a Big Nose-erm, Ganondorf chapter... I never thought I'd say this, but I actually like writing his chapters. Possibly because they're twisted... and his segments usually contain things that I'm already used to writing.


	11. Plots and Conspiracies

Another shortish chapter. And this chapter also reinforces my "I'm going to have change the rating to M" theory. I mean, it's not that bad in this chapter but... eh, it's going to get worse, I can easily say that.

And to clear up some words that Vega used in the last chapter: American English: Potty = toilet. British English: Potty = crazy. And just for everyone else, if you need translation, I suggest going to a website called effingpot dot com/slang/shtml. I am Cuban American. I was raised in American English. In order to get Vega's characterization down, I had to look up English slang and that website helped me out immensely. If you need help understanding some of the things Vega says, I highly recommend visiting it.

* * *

The council meeting had ended and Ganondorf was sure it was a meeting that would cause him to grow grey hairs. Worst of all, there were still at least two more to come. The province handlers were speaking softly among themselves and the representatives from the Zora and Goron races were walking out, discussing their own matters. Quinn had disappeared, to where he really didn't care, but it was probably to his study. The brat was always there. Odran had remained, however, which was good. He wished to speak with the veteran.

He stood up and gestured for the captain of the guard to follow him as he exited the chamber.

"Captain, I've noticed one of your pageboys is missing." He said simply.

The scarred man nodded. "Yes, ser. As soon as he heard that a star was going to be falling, he set off to where Quinn said it might land." He explained.

Ganondorf paused in the hallway and forked a bushy eyebrow. "That's very unlike you. You've always enforced strong disciplinary action against such things." The Gerudo commented.

"Very true, ser, but I know Link's not deserting." Said the military man.

"That isn't all."

Odran let himself frown slightly and said, "Ser, I've known him since he was a small lad. His father an' I were good friends, when he died I did my best to help him an' his mother. Then his mother went and died of the flux that same year. I been raising him like my own, ser, but he has his reasons for going after the star-mostly to do with his father. I figure it's best to let'im get it out of his system, ser."

"That makes sense." Said the dark man with a nod, "I was just curious. You're dismissed."

The scarred man saluted and then headed off his own way. He doubted the soldier knew about his precious page traveling with a witch and the very star he was after. He still had to find out more about that witch, as well.

At the sound of soft footsteps behind him, however, he knew he would have to deal witch a different kind of witch first.

"Lord Dragmire, I thought I would find you here." Came Anya's musical voice.

He turned and smiled at her politely. "And how would you know that, Anya of Eldin? This castle has many hallways." He said.

She smiled a lovely smile and said, "Just a hunch…"

"Then it must be the woman's intuition." He commented.

"It must be…" She said softly, getting closer than what would normally be considered appropriate.

It was like she was making a point to press her body against his. He had to admit, it was flattering… and very direct, but he wasn't stupid. He pushed her away gently and said, "Shouldn't you be chatting it up with your little wizard friend?"

She puffed her lower lip, making her look like an upset teenager and said, "He's so reclusive, he never talks to me anymore. I don't think he talks to anyone anymore, to be honest." She wrung her wrist around in that typically feminine way as she continued, "Ever since the king fell ill he has not been himself… It's disheartening, really. I would be lying if I said I wasn't trying to get a little bit of information from you."

"I make it a habit not to speak to Quinn often. He doesn't seem to like me and I can tell you that I'm not terribly upset by that." He said nonchalantly.

The dark man stepped around her and began to go on his way, but then she went ahead and said, "Quinn isn't the only reason… I'm sure you know that."

He paused, glancing only slightly at her before saying, "All too well."

She walked towards him, getting close again and said, "I'm on your side… I'm willing to help you in _any_ way…"

"Duly noted." He told her simply before once again walking around her and going on his way. She did not follow or stop him this time.

He made his way through the winding halls of the castle, having no particular destination. Later he would have to see about talking to one of the maids, see if he could find anything out about the king's "sin", as he called it. It was probably nothing, but he couldn't shake the feeling that it was somehow important.

He paused for barely a moment as he felt something come into his shadow. Was it time for the daily report already? He just kept walking.

"Master…" said Zant from the shadows, "That woman could be useful."

"I don't trust her." He told his servant.

"I never said to trust her," stated Zant simply, "I merely said she could be useful."

Ganondorf just chuckled bitterly. "Amazing how when you're not truly around you grow a spine." He told the shadow in which Zant was hiding in, "I suppose she can be useful… But she is plotting something, probably under Quinn's orders."

"If you know this already, it can't be a very good plot then…" The servant said.

"You would be surprised how many have thought that way and died." He said, "Now, what's the status of the star?"

* * *

Quinn sat in his study, rubbing one of his temples in an attempt to relieve some stress. It wasn't working. Growling lowly, he flipped a page in the book in front of him. He wasn't seriously reading the book, but the girlish redhead had to look busy in case any officials came in. He had to ward them off somehow and reading up on "important" material usually helped in getting rid of them. His only priority now was figuring out what was wrong with the king… He had no time to deal with the frivolous wants of the other officials and nobles.

He sighed, glancing around the room. His bookshelves - crammed with all sorts of books: regular ones, spell books, magical theory, even foreign ones in different languages-, the trinkets he'd gotten from his father, he wasn't even sure what half of them did but he liked the memories they held, and then there was the staff in the corner of the room, the one he took with him mostly everywhere. Staves were more of a symbol of a wizard's power, one didn't really need them… but he needed this one.

_Ah Father… if you were here, what would you do?_ He thought.

There was a knocking on the door.

"Come in." He said, knowing only one person who was polite enough to actually knock.

Anya entered the room, closing the door quietly. The brunette woman smiled widely at him and then quickly frowned as she looked around. With an annoyed mumble, she went to his window and yanked the curtains open, immediately sending a flash of sunlight through the room. Quinn immediately winced at the sudden shock of light and frowned…

"Sunlight isn't a new concept." Anya said in a rather maternal fashion

"I like my study dark." He said a little bitterly.

Ignoring his crass reply, she went and sat on his desk. "I did as you asked." She said, adjusting his puffy collar. Doing so was not hiding her ample bosom at all.

He brushed her hand away from him and kept his gaze focused on her eyes. "And?"

She frowned and then shrugged in defeat, "I have no idea. I put myself out there, whether he's going to take the bait or not is a whole different question unto itself."

"He'll take it." said the young wizard.

The province holder forked an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that?"

The feminine looking young man nodded. "The Gerudo are typically an all female tribe, with the exception of one male per century-their king. He is a Gerudo man, therefore king of the Gerudo. All kings have their advisors and he was raised around women. If anything, he'd value a woman's outlook more than a man's. He'll take the bait."

"You seem so sure." She commented. "What if you're wrong?"

"Hopefully there will be time to try something else in that case." He said.

"Speaking of surety," the woman started, "How do you know Dragmire's really planning something?"

"I don't." Said the Royal Wizard simply, "But it's just too suspicious. He just appears out of nowhere one day, works his way up the ranks, befriends the king and becomes his advisor… All this within six years when it normally takes someone else _decades_. The only reason _I'm_ Royal Wizard is because I know everything my father knew and I can't say I've earned the position…"

"What did your father think?" Anya asked.

"When he died, Dragmire wasn't the friend of the king. There was no reason to be suspicious back then…"

"So then why are you suspicious now?"

"Because he's Gerudo." The wizard answered simply.

Anya snorted. "That's awfully racist."

He gave her a flat look. "You know as well as I do it's as good as any reason. If the Gerudo were friendly to Hyrule, I wouldn't give him a second thought, but they're not our allies and they attack frequently. Isn't it a coincidence that now, when their king is over here, their attacks have suddenly stopped? And of course, no one makes the connection because the Gerudo don't have sons, therefore Dragmire can't be one of them despite the fact he has all of their traits…"

"Some people are stupid." Anya said, examining her nails. "How do you think I got into my current position? Hard work is all well and good, but sleeping with the men in power helps. After that, they'll do anything to keep your mouth shut so you won't tell their wives."

The wizard just stared at the desktop and put a palm on his forehead. "I don't need to know that…"

She lay down on the desk so she was peering up at his face. "It's only the truth…" she said simply.

He scowled and avoided eye contact. "It's a rotten truth… Just because you're woman you shouldn't have to sell yourself like that…"

Anya flipped so that she was lying on her belly, then she extended her hands and turned Quinn's face so that it was facing hers. "That's kind of you… but I really don't mind." She lifted herself up a bit and then deeply kissed him.

He was quick to pull away, "Crafty as always, Anya. What are you planning?"

She frowned and then sat up straight. "That's the second time today a man's resisted me; I don't think I've ever felt more rejected in my life." She said in mock sorrow.

The wizard wiped his lips with his sleeve before he said, "Fine, don't tell me."

The Eldin native sighed and then changed the subject, "If you think Dragmire has really cursed the king, why not just kill him now? What is he waiting for?"

"I was hoping you could help me figure that out," He said, quickly adding, "If it fits within your own agenda, of course."

She crossed her arms and made it look like she was thinking it over. Then with a sly smile she says, "I'll follow whatever agenda you'd like me to… I'll end up gaining something out of it no matter whether it's your plan or my own, so I might as well follow yours. There's more good in it."

He nodded, "Thank you."

* * *

Surely none of you thought I was going to do the whole, men and women are equal thing. I said it before: _I'm being realistic_. If you're woman in politics (especially in a medieval setting), you're either a hard ass, born into it, or a conniving biznatch who sleeps around for higher positions. Anya is of the latter, but that's not to say she isn't smart. She knows how to play her cards, and you'll be seeing more of that later.

This is the kind of stuff they _never_ get into in Zelda games: the intricate details of Hyrule's politics... Frankly, this is any politics really. But yeah, no one cares about the politics... Even I don't really like it. I'm only getting into it here because... well, the story calls for it... and I do so _love_ conspiracies...


	12. A Discussion of Fate

I'm like on a crap writing spree right now. Not only does this chapter totally suck, it's short... again. I can't seem to be able to write long chapters anymore. It seems my block isn't completely gone... GODDAMMIT BRAIN, WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?! -bangs head on keyboard-

On the bright side, you got your update _before_ 10 PM! :D WHOO! I'll be honest, this is a very Vega-centric chapter. And I'd also like to tell **fleets** thank ya'll very much. As much as I don't like OCs in fanfics, when I do make OCs, whether they are for original stories of fanfics, I strive to make them as realistic and believable as possible.

* * *

"You're sure they took her this way?" Vega asked the page.

Link scowled and snapped, "They went this way at first; they could've changed directions at any other time!"

The star said nothing to that, knowing that to be true enough. He didn't feel that Zelda was too far, at the same time he still had his doubts about how near to her they were. Everything in the forest looked the same. The trees, the grass, the bushes… everything just looked the same. Not to mention there was just a sense about the forest that made it confusing, already. He hadn't been sure about it until Link first mentioned the Koroks. The Guardian of the Forest was there… and that was most likely where the dimwitted creatures had gone. But he could feel the Guardian everywhere… not very productive when one needed to find the source.

"Good goddesses…" Link muttered.

"What?" He glanced over at the collared page.

Link just pointed upwards. Sighing and expecting it to be silly, he followed the young man's finger and the found him gaping, himself. Staring right at them, with big golden eyes, was a giant owl. It was easily the size of an average man, something which creeped both the page and the star out. As if it couldn't get any creepier, the owl then twisted its head all the way around and went right back to staring at them.

"Maybe… if we don't move… it will leave…" the silver haired man said.

The blond didn't even dare speak. This was the owl he'd heard the stories about… That was the one he had been skeptical of but… seeing was certainly believing. He heard the star make a sound of disgust as the owl twisted its head back around again.

"Do you think we can outrun it…?" Link asked.

Vega considered it, his eyes still firmly on the owl. "Perhaps… his wingspan is large so I imagine it's hard for him to fly around in such a thick forest…" _Though, he's had to navigate this forest somehow…_

The star then glanced over at the page only to see the blond man had left a trail behind him when he ran. The giant bird then flapped its just as giant wings, and that was enough to send the silvertop running as well. And as he ran, he could still hear the flapping of the giant bird's wings. As he jumped over a log, that was when he recognized the form of Link's back. Rage flared up inside of him but he still kept in mind the owl behind them.

"You _asshole_." Vega spat as he caught up to Link.

"What?" Link said just as bad temperedly, "You can take yourself, I've seen it!"

"You could have at least mentioned what you were thinking!" The star said angrily.

"And let that owl eat me? I don't think so!" The page said as if it was common sense.

The star grumbled something irritably but they both kept running.

Until they tripped over a log hidden by ferns and moss. Immediately, both turned on their back and gazed in horror as the giant owl landed before them. It twisted big around completely and then back. The two looked at each other and nodded. If that bird got any nearer, there would be blood and feathers everywhere. The great owl opened its beak; the two prepared for the offensive.

"Great Deku Tree, would these be the fellows you're looking for?"

Both of their jaws dropped to the floor.

**"Yes. Thank you Kaepora Gaebora"**

The next voice seemed to shake their very souls, but they could still tell that whatever spoke was behind them. They turned slowly, fearing the worst.

"Link! Vega!" Said Zelda, a smile brightening her face despite all the Koroks around her. "Did you guys come to save me?"

Their attention, however, was more on the enormous tree behind her with a strange trunk that looked almost like a face. Zelda was annoyed, then, Vega could sense that much, but he was examining the tree. After a moment he then smiled and began to laugh.

"What's so funny?" The witch and the page asked almost simultaneously.

The Koroks echoed their question, albeit in different forms, but the star answered. "This forest isn't haunted or cursed. I should've figured it out when I mentioned the Koroks…"

"I'm afraid the rumors of hauntings are my fault." The owl Kaepora Gaebora said, "Loggers could destroy this sacred place. In order to keep it safe, I spread the rumors on behalf of the Great Deku Tree."

"Those Koroks could have fooled me…" Link muttered.

"They're not evil, just stupid." Zelda whispered to him.

**"Star being, what is your name?"** The Deku Tree asked.

The star flipped his silver hair over his shoulder and looked up at the tree. "Vega."

**"Star Vega, if it not too much to ask, may I speak with you?"**

The star looked at the small crowd around him and the tree. "I'm assuming he means a private conversation so all of you sod off."

Grumbling, the witch and the page followed the Koroks away into the forest. The giant owl did not leave.

**"Kaepora Gaebora may stay. I value most anything he has to say."**

Crinkling his nose in irritation, the star did not object. He just wasn't sure if he valued anything a giant owl had to say. "What do you want to tell me?"

**"Your soul is bound to the witch."**

"And?"

**"That girl is not just a witch. I am sure you have sensed it by now."**

He said nothing.

"Those two, the witch and the page, have a greater destiny then you would like to give them credit for." The owl commented. "And whether you like it or not, you've been tied into it… At least for now."

The star sneered. "I have no desire to be a part of their fate… No matter what they may be. Besides, they don't even know what they are."

**"No one ever knows who or what they are… but they will find out in time."** The Deku Tree said. **"It is the destiny of the those chosen by the goddesses to gather… and to battle."**

"And I'm not one of them; therefore, I have nothing to do with them!" Vega snapped.

The giant owl flapped its wings in irritation and said, "You have everything to do with them if your soul is bound to one of them! If she dies, you die, if she's in pain, you're in a pain, you feel what she feels! How can you say you have nothing to do with her?"

"Because I want _nothing_ to do with them!" He snarled. "And I want nothing more of this bloody conversation!" And with that, he turned on his heel towards where the small crowd had departed. He knew everything they said was correct, but he didn't have to admit that he was a part of their fate. That was not what he wanted…

**"You will help them, young star, whether you want to or not."** The Deku Tree's voice vibrated into his being.

He snorted and kept stomping through the growth of the forest. As drew back a branch, he jumped, a little startled to see an angry looking Zelda there.

"Stop being angry!" She hissed. "I'm tired of feeling angry! Always with you, it's angry, angry, angry! Angry at this, angry at that!"

He felt his eyebrow twitch. "Because my soul is bonded to a cheeky little tart like you!"

"Stop fighting!" A Korok shouted.

"Thank you!" Link told it.

It was then that the star and the witch noticed that just about everyone else was staring at them. The blond girl flushed in embarrassment. Then she felt a twinge of annoyance coming from Vega-big surprise there. The silvertop just grumpily walked over to a lonely corner and sat down, his back to everyone else.

As Zelda sat down near Link, the page couldn't help but notice that the witch didn't have a look of irritation on her face. Instead, she actually looked concerned. Thinking it to be about the forest, he said "When you two cool down a little we can probably ask one of these guys to lead us out… if they even know where it is."

"Thanks, but that wasn't what I was thinking about…" She said distantly.

Link forked an eyebrow. "Not that I care… but what were you thinking about?"

The witch bit her lip and said, "I think Vega has underestimated how tangled up our souls are…"

"And why is that?" The page asked.

"I actually heard his thoughts… I mean, nothing that could make sense together, but I heard drifts of what he was thinking. I don't know if he knows it and I don't think I should bring it up." She said, sounding concerned.

"Bringing it up would probably just make him irritable." Link commented.

"He definitely doesn't need to be irritated anymore than he is now…" She said with a nod.

At that statement, the collared page cocked his head in confusion. "If he's that irritated then how come you aren't biting anyone's heads off?" He asked.

The glint in her eye proved that she was indeed irritated. Gathering her composure, though, she went ahead and said, "Because not everything he's feeling is irritation. We share emotions now, remember. I'm getting irritated from him, but at the same time I'm also concerned… and he seems depressed."

"I'll take your word for it."

Silence, except for the Koroks speaking amongst themselves in their own little garbled language.

Eventually, Zelda did spoke. "Link, I want to thank you…" The words seemed a little bit difficult for her to say, but ignored that part of it.

"What are you thanking me for?"

Blushing slightly she said, "Back when the Koroks carried me off and I screamed for your help, I saw you trying to get out of the ropes as fast as you could… And then you actually came and found me. I mean, I know Vega did too, but that was for his own self-preservation. You didn't have to come for me… Especially since I…" She glanced at the collar and then averted her gaze somewhere else.

Link was really glad he didn't share emotions with anyone because he felt guilty. The only reason he was willing to save her was because Vega had convinced that without her, he wouldn't have a wish… But Zelda didn't know this; she was out of sight by the time he realized he didn't want to save her. And now, she was thanking him for attempting to rescue her even though he didn't really want to.

"Chivalry calls for me to save a damsel in distress." He said, hiding any guilt he felt.

"Even if that stupid code calls for it, I'm still thanking you." She snapped, Vega's irritation showing itself in her again. "So just take it!"

"Fine," he said with a slight flinch, "You're welcome…" _She's a really bossy woman…

* * *

_WHUT?! ZELDA AND LINK BEING CIVIL!? ZOMG! It must be the end of the world!

I'M OBSESSED WITH CAPZ LOCK RIGHT NAO.


	13. In the Shadows

Ah, sorry for the latness. I know I promised an early chapter but life decided to get really complicated really fast. D:

It's still kind of shortish, and it feels like kind of a useless chapter to me, but here you go...

* * *

One of the Koroks offered to be their guide through the forest. He was a squat little guy that said his name was Makar. As with most of the other Koroks, he had a sort of wooden jingling sound accompanying him while he walked and that made him easy to find. Looking like a little stump, Link and Zelda had a tendency to lose sight of him since he blended in with the vegetation around them. Vega seemed to have no trouble finding him but he had also remained deathly quiet. He was still bitter and depressed.

"Do you think that we should try talking to him about it?" Zelda asked in a whisper to Link.

"No." The page said simply.

The witch frowned in concern. "But what if he really needs someone to talk to?"

"You would know that best," said the collared page, "If you're so sure about it, you go talk to him."

The young witch's brow furrowed as her gaze went to Vega's back. She hoped her concern wasn't effecting him too mu-

**_Stupid… concerned… now?_**

She paused for a second. Those weren't her thoughts… And together they didn't make sense but she could fill in the gaps…

"Zelda?" Link stopped, noting her confused look.

"Oh… I'm fine. Sorry, just dozed off for a moment I guess."

Link forked an eyebrow. "Are you fine to keep going?"

"Yes." She said, perhaps with an unconvincing amount of cheer going with it. "I'm fine, really."

"You two stop chatting and hurry up!" Vega snarled.

Meanwhile, hiding in the shadows of the tress around them, Zant couldn't help but notice Zelda's sudden pause… In fact, as he'd been watching them, he saw that both the witch's and the star's moods and attitudes seemed… consistent. Too consistent. What had happened in the time he was gone after he first confronted them? That was the only time he was gone long enough for anything significant to happen without him knowing… And if he knew what was good for him, he'd better find out what exactly the bond between those two was… If not…

He shuddered at the thought of his lord's anger. That… that wasn't something he'd ever want to deal with…

Perhaps if he'd gotten closer…

He stopped as the star suddenly whipped his gaze in his general direction. He quickly fell into the shadow of a tree. The silvertop's gaze lingered on his direction for a bit longer until the two teenagers spoke to him, possibly inquiring about his sudden stop. The star seemed to dismiss it and they went on following the little creature guiding them.

When they were out of sight, but not out of his senses, Zant came out of the shadows. The star had good senses of his own… and that would make it difficult to get closer to the group. He didn't get that close but the star had detected _something._ If he had gotten any closer, he would've been identified and… the little witch might come after him. He shuddered. The witch and the star… Those were the ones that truly scared him. The page, though… the page didn't scare him at all. All he had was a little sword to swing around.

A smile played out upon his blue lips…

He'd get closer to them through the page. Compared to the other two, he was harmless. And if he was already in the page's shadow, he was already shielded from the senses of the star (and maybe the witch, he wasn't too sure about her skill level with detecting people).

He blended into the shadows of the forest again, not too difficult since sunlight never seemed to enter the forest, and flew threw them nearer to the group he was trailing. All he had to do was wait for the page to separate from the group and then he could seize his chance…

Makar had stopped, suggesting they stop for the night. Link wasn't quite sure how anyone could tell what time of day it was within the forest but, slow as the Koroks could be, he trusted the squat creature's assessment. He also couldn't say he was opposed to stopping. He was really, _really_ tired. Walking a good chunk of the day, and not to mention running from a giant owl he thought he was going to be eaten by, could do that to a person.

Speaking of being eaten, he was wondering what was around to be eaten by him…

"Hey, Makar," he called to the little thing, "Are there any good hunting spots around here?"

The creature tilted its head, making it look completely lopsided since its head was most of its body, and asked, "Hunt? What's that?"

Link grimaced and but then scowled as he heard a bitter laugh from the star. "And what's so funny?"

"Humans can really be daft- or at least you, bender." Said Vega. Link narrowed his eyes at the silver-white haired man. He was beginning to understand the insults that were being thrown at him – and he wasn't liking the implications. But he said nothing and the star continued on to say, "I'm sure even Ducky can answer this one."

Zelda rolled her eyes, seemingly not liking the fact that she had to explain everything. Still, she went ahead and explained. "Koroks are creatures of the forest. They don't seem to need much in the way of sustenance as long as the forest remains alive. If the forest dwindles, so will they. And if they do eat, they probably don't eat meat. Their little weapons are probably more for self-defense than hunting. At least that's what I think it is…"

Vega nodded, one of the only times he seemed even remotely satisfied with anything. Rather than directing his attention back to Link, though, the star knelt down to be closer to Makar's level. "Little Korok, my friend here meant that he was hungry. He was wondering if there was anything edible that we could eat around here."

The squat creature seemed to understand that. He nodded vigorously, his wooden jingles echoing throughout the area. "Yes, yes! I can go find some for you if you all will wait here for me." He offered.

Zelda smiled and said, "That would be wonderful. Thank you, Makar."

If possible, it almost looked as if the small thing smiled broadly at them before scuttling off.

Link still kept the scowl on his face. One day, he was just going to snap and break every bone in that star's body. But if he did that, he had a feeling that Vega would be even less willing than he already was to help them. The page inwardly shrugged at that. All that meant was that he had to keep all of his pent up rage inside of him until _after_ the king was well again. Then he could break every single bone in the silvertop's body.

After smirking at the thought, another thought – more of a necessity, really – came to mind. He began to wander off when the witch finally said, "Where are you going?"

"Were I in that damned wolf appearance, you'd call it marking my territory." He said, before adding with a teasing smile, "Do you want to watch?"

She blushed, "N-no! Just go and take care of it!" Zelda snapped.

When the page was out of sight was when Vega dared speak. "Stop that."

The witch gave him a puzzled look. "Stop what?"

Vega glared at her, but she could sense his tension, anger, and concern. "I'll speak in your terms just so I can make this bloody clear: While we are tied together, don't you _dare_ ever think of that boy as anything more than a friend."

She felt her face reddening again. "You don't have to say that twice! I'd never think of that chauvinistic pig like that!"

The star gave her a flat look and she could sense the disbelief. "Ducky, you would be so surprised at how many of you humans have said that. Just keep in mind that whatever you feel affects me too. Also keep in mind that there are certain things that stars are incapable of feeling for very good reasons." He said, tone matching expression.

Zelda knew there was a warning in that message, especially the last sentence. She didn't quite understand it, though. Star beings… As she understood it they were beings of almost pure magic yet very similar to Hylians… Was he talking about one of the things that made Hylians and stars so different?

**_Stupid question…_**

She repressed a wince. That comment had answered one of her earlier questions.

He was very much well aware that they shared some of their thoughts…

The page then returned, rustling the bushes as he did so, but he looked distracted. That was enough to intrigue both the star and the witch.

"And what seems to have got your goat, bender?" Vega asked, sounding disinterested but Zelda sensing he was to some degree concerned.

Link glanced behind him for a second and then shook his head a little. "Nothing really… It was just weird, is all."

The blond witch forked an eyebrow. "What was weird?"

The collared page seemed to think over whether the question was worth answering and then said, "It's just that while I was taking care of business, I felt like I was being watched. That didn't bother me too much, probably because I was relieving myself in an unfamiliar place. Anyone would be uncomfortable with that… But then all of a sudden, it was like something came up behind me and… I don't really know but I feel kind of violated…"

**_… Is he insane?_**

The thought from Vega was purposely shared to Zelda and she stifled a grin.

A wooden jingling noise then came closer to them. All their heads turned to see little maker climbing over a moss covered log with a bag, which all of them could have sworn he never had, filled with what they all assumed to be food. Zelda scrambled up quickly to help Makar over the log. After which she led the squat thing to the center of their little resting spot.

The little Korok seemed very happy as he placed the sack on the ground. "I found lots of things to eat!" He said happily.

The three waited in anticipation as the Korok fumbled with the knot on the sack. When the knot was undone, the sack unfurled so that it was just a square of cloth which held what would be their meal. All three held in their frowns at the sight, not wanting to offend.

"Bluesnap roots are really delicious!" Said the creature.

Vega honestly had no idea what bluesnap roots were… but they looked absolutely terrible. And given Link's expression and Zelda's negative feelings, he had a very good idea that they were in for a very lousy dinner.


	14. Matters of Magic

For those of you who don't know. I updated on the appointed update day before. Check last chapter to get updated.

Wow, I feel like I'm going nowhere. That's how boring this chapter is. On the bright side, I do believe my block is over. So there should be no more convoluted updates.

* * *

If there was one thing the three travelers could agree on, it was that they all decided that bluesnap roots were the most vile tasting things on the face of the earth. It was from that point in the followings days that Link appointed himself the official hunter of the group. It was a bit difficult, as the only weapon he had, a sword, really wasn't suited for hunting from long distances… In fact, a sword really wasn't a hunting weapon.

Despite the fact that Link was the "official" hunter, Zelda and Vega were really doing all the work since they required no weaponry. However, the star had a little too much power behind his own magic leaving anything he flamed more charcoal than cooked meat.

So really, Zelda was doing all the work.

And it was frustrating. They couldn't travel as fast now that they had to spend a good portion of their time hunting rather than gathering food as they went. From what maker had shown them, the only edible plant in the forest were bluesnap roots. Anything else was poisonous or just as foul tasting as the bluesnaps. They still ate them, for lack of other edible things, but having some meat sometimes drowned out the foul flavor of the fetid plants of the forest.

As she squatted behind a bush with some nasty needles, waiting for some kind of animal to pass by, the witch couldn't help but think of one thing that was truly bothering her:

Magic.

Zelda had always fancied herself a pretty decent magician. Syrup and Maple had always told her she was one of the best, but here Vega was telling her that her magic was… crude. And since he was a star, a being composed mostly of magic, it had to be true. And she realized just how true it was as he charred a passing deer.

She sighed as she remembered it. They had each been hiding behind a tree. Makar, getting over the initial shock that they ate meat, had told them of an incoming herd of deer. Link signaled them when the animals were in sight. Zelda peered around the tree to see a couple of does and a stag. She looked to the stag and pursed her lips as she prepared the spell in her mind. Before her lips could even mutter the first syllable, the deer all perked up and began to bound off. She scowled as she saw Vega had just stepped out into the field, calm as she had ever seen him and felt him. But before the stag could disappear from sight, she felt something within the star. It wasn't something she could quite describe well, except that she felt something grow from within the silvertop. But it was strange… it grew from within him but it seemed like he was also feeling around himself. He extended an arm and the power that had grown within him was released in a glittering, golden flame. Even more amazing, it wasn't a normal firebolt of uncontrolled flames, it was like a lance… A shimmering lance…

She had never heard of any human mage casting a magic like that… And it discouraged Zelda. However, maybe Vega would be kind enough to-

**_No._**

The thought pierced her mind quite firmly. The witch wasn't quite sure where the star was, but distance didn't seem to matter too much in the thought sharing. She pouted. At least most of her thoughts were to herself…

Still, the pout left as she cheered up a bit, realizing something. Sharing thoughts with Vega, whether he realized it or not, actually was making his attitude towards her lighter.

Out of the darkness of the trees, bringing her back to reality, a lone doe walked into her live of view. The doe, as all deer were, was looking around cautiously. Zelda found herself holding her breath as she watched the animal. She tried not to think of how cute she thought it was… about its slender and graceful form that showed her that the goddesses had created beautiful creatures…

She inwardly scowled and kept her eyes focused on where she would strike. The head showed her the eyes of the gentle beast, and she couldn't bring herself to kill something while she was looking it in the eye. The legs would give the creature a torturous death, and that sickened her. The heart was the best option, she felt, and probably the first that most people would go for. Zelda then tried to mimic Vega.

She closed her eyes and tried to feel the magic in the air. How did he do it, she wondered. She knew he felt the magic around him… and he somehow sucked it in and made it grow inside of him… But how did one manage something like that? She bit her lip and struggled with the very concept of it. Zelda reopened her eyes and saw that the deer was grazing quietly, still seeming ever alert. She slowly raised up a hand and tried to summon the magic around her. She tried to push the magic out of her hand but a spark flared and died just as quickly as it came. The witch was dismayed, but even more so when the deer saw the spark, then her, then jumped off and away.

"That's too bad. She looked like she had some good meat on her."

Zelda jumped at Link's comment. She hadn't realized that the page was behind her. She did not respond to him.

"Why did you not just flame it?" He asked, "You're good at that, but all you managed was a tiny little flare."

The witch gave the page a dirty look, but did answer him truthfully, "I was trying something different."

"You should stick to whatever you were doing before. Copying Vega may not be such a good idea."

She stood up and brushed herself off. "Well, I'll never know until I try."

"Actually, I was saying you shouldn't try because he's a man. He obviously casts magic better than you do." Whether Link's words were serious or not, Zelda still became utterly infuriated at them.

"Is that so?" She snapped, "Maybe my crude magic needs to teach you another lesson!" With an angry flick of her wrist, Link already knee what was coming.

He forcibly fell upon all of his limbs and grunted as his shape began to change and fur jutted from his skin. Colors left him once again, but his other senses increasing making up for it. He gnashed his fangs that had once been normal teeth and shook his head in rejection of the wolf form. Snorting and barking, flailing with himself wildly, Link came to the conclusion that he needed to learn how to keep his mouth shut.

Zelda glared down at him. "Well, you're a wolf now. I guess you can do the hunting." Link returned her glare with a growl. Smiling sweetly, she then left back to their camp site.

With a wolfish grunt, he went on to follow the deer that Zelda had lost. He was very surprised how he didn't even snap once at Zelda… Really, the whole wolf thing should have angered him more, and when he actually thought about it he was pretty angry at her! So why hadn't he told her so - not that it would sway that crazy girl's mind.

He paused and sat so his hind leg could scratch the itch forming underneath the collar that was forced on him.

Link came to a complete stop when he remembered the collar. A horrible thought came across his mind as he really thought about the collar. He had known that it tied him to Zelda. He figured all it could do was turn him into a wolf and back whenever she was angry enough to change his form or otherwise calm enough to restore him. But what if the collar was making him more subservient to her?

_Nah._ He said, pushing the thought to the back of his head. _No woman's going to be controlling me._

And with that, the wolf-page figured he may as well do what the witch had asked. The faster she calmed down, the faster he could go back to being bipedal.

* * *

Anya sat in the room given to her for her stay at the castle. Being the only female of the council had its benefits. She was sure she had the most spacious room, as well as the only one with a private washroom. The soft colors and delicate designs on the furniture also told her that the room was definitely made for a woman. As she sat the small but pretty desk set aside by the window, she couldn't help but wonder if this room had once belonged to someone. The province holder couldn't hazard any guess as to what kind of woman had lived there, if any. She had not known of any woman besides herself that was allowed a private room in the castle.

With a sigh, she threw that thought away and glanced out the window, laying her had to rest against her hand. She really wished she could so something but Quinn was adamant on her laying low.

_"I don't want to hear from you until Dragmire makes his move. We can't have him suspect that we are up to something." _

Those were the young wizard's exact words, and she didn't like them very much. The Eldin native was left bored, what with the deliberations for the next king – or queen, she was hoping – weren't going to be continued for the next two days. The last meeting was far from successful in determining anything, so things were in a standstill. And since progress needed to be made, she felt the need to mingle… but Quinn didn't want her mingling.

The woman rolled her eyes, wondering why Quinn was the only man who she ever listened to.

Her chain of thought was interrupted when there was a knock on her door. "Excuse me, honored Anya, but Lord Dragmire would like to meet with you." Came a voice from behind the door.

_It's about time. _She thought to herself. "Thank you, please give me a moment." She said sweetly.

Anya stood and straightened out her dress, but stepped in front of the mirror to make sure she looked presentable. She flipped her hair over shoulders and then nodded in satisfaction. The province holder then opened the door and said to the messenger, "Lead the way."

The messenger, a young man barely old enough to be called so, inclined his head and then went on ahead. She followed, making sure she looked as graceful as a noble lady should. It wasn't long before the messenger stopped and knocked on the door to Ganondorf's study. "Lord Dragmire, the honored Anya to see you, as you requested."

"Let her in." He said from behind the door.

The messenger opened the door and gestured for Anya to enter first. She nodded politely to the messenger as she entered. As soon as she entered, she could see how the tastes of Quinn and Ganondorf differed. What really gave it away was the fact that the curtains were open and that everything was much more organized and… normal. Something that she had to admit was unexpected.

Sitting behind his desk, the Gerudo man dismissed the messenger, who went and closed the door. He then refocused his attention on Anya. "Please, sit." He said.

Smiling, she nodded in appreciation and sat at the chair before the desk. "Thank you, Lord Dragmire." She said, making sure to turn on her charm, "What may I ask do you wish to speak to me about?"

The dark gave a pleasant, but meaningless, smile. "I'll be direct, dear Anya, how much do you know exactly?" He asked.

Honestly, the woman had not expected him to be that direct, so she wasn't quite sure how to answer. But she figured she may as well be direct, in a womanly fashion, of course. "You're a politician - a high ranking politician, at that – and the king is dying. What else would you be after?"

Ganondorf laughed, and it was a true laugh of amusement, but it only lasted a moment. Still keeping his fake smile he continued, "You're mostly right. Of course, if you say that then I believe I have a good idea of what you want as well."

Anya made sure to smile back just as pleasantly and falsely. "We politicians are no better than mosquitoes." She commented.

"Very true… But I'm considering your words from our last meeting. Perhaps we can come to a compromise?"

"But of course, Lord Dragmire." She said. _Well, Quinn… It looks like you were right.

* * *

_AWHAW. Wolf Link is baaaack.

I'll try to see if I can get in another early chapter, but no promises. I'm in my final weeks of school, and that makes it the craziest time ever. Update schedules will be followed, however.


	15. Planning

Short chapter but unlike the last two: IT HAS STUFF GOING ON. HOMYGAW. I know, even I'm shocked at myself.

Ah... I have nothing to say, really... Like seriously, normally I'm a huge chatter box but right now... nothing.

Well, enjoy your early chapter you weaboos. :B

* * *

"This… This is delicious!" Vega said as he glanced down at the meat in his hands. He eagerly took another bite and even Zelda could feel the immense satisfaction the star had from his meal.

"You've never eaten meat?" Asked the witch almost skeptically.

The star shook his head and waited until he finished with his mouthful before saying, "No. Up in the heavens we do have meat, but it's a rarity to actually get a hold of it."

Link, still a wolf, whined. _"Please change me back now?"_

Zelda looked at him and seemed to be thinking it over. That incurred a chuckle from Vega, "Good luck with that, mate." He told the star.

"Oh shush, Vega." Snapped the blond girl. She redirected her attention to the collared wolf and then said, "No, I think you should stay a wolf. Hunting's much easier for you as a wolf than as a human. My aim is terrible-" **_Liar._** "- and Vega has way too much power behind his magic. You're perfect for this."

Link snarled and snapped. _"Not fair! Change me back, woman!"_

"Keep talking like that and I may as well keep you as a wolf." She said flatly.

The wolf merely growled, but that's all it was. Deciding he might as well accept it, he took up the venison chunk that Zelda had torn for him and chomped on it hungrily.

A wooden jingling sound announced the return of Makar. The little Korok came stumbling through with his little sack of bluesnaps roots. As always, he offered the three some of his roots and, as always, they refused as politely as they could.

After taking another tear from his venison, Vega looked around their surroundings seeing that everything looked the same as it always did. Trees, trees… more trees… ferns and bushes, fallen trees… so much foliage that it was difficult to walk a straight line. Vega certainly felt bad for Link who actually had to drag the carcass of the dead doe to their little spot. It was kind of a blessing that they had managed to find a clear enough space to start a fire _and _fir their meal. But the forest was ever so frustrating. His sense of time had gradually worsened to the point where their only timer was the Korok… and he really wasn't sure if they were anywhere near their desired location… well, Link and Zelda's desired location, at least.

"Korok," Vega began, "How much farther do we have to go?"

Makar looked up from his little assortment for a moment and said, "Not too far now. We should be arriving within the next day or so…"

"Ah, how close will we actually be to the castle?" Asked Zelda.

The little Korok looked at the ground and shifted his stumpy little legs. "I'm not sure… I've never left the forest, but from the edge you can see a wall. The castle's behind the wall."

"It seems close enough." Vega mused. "I have no idea what you plan to do from there, Ducky."

"It's obvious. You'll grant our wish." Zelda said cheerily.

Link snorted on the meat he had been chewing on.

"See, even your little pet knows I won't be granting anyone's wishes." The silvertop said nonchalantly. **_… Not my business…_**

Zelda's fists clenched her dark blue robes. After a moment she finally said in a frustrated voice, "How can you still say no? This is for a just cause!"

A twinge of shared irritation surged through both the star being and the witch.

"I'm easy. The fate of your kingdom is not my problem." Said the silvertop simply.

This time, Link snorted.

Forking an eyebrow, the star said, "And what's so funny, mutt?"

The wolf finished gobbling down the chunk of meat he had been eating before grunting,_ "You seem adamant enough about staying here. If you really do plan to do that, then the death of the king _is _your problem."_

"Not really." Shrugged the star. "At least I don't see it."

Link didn't even bother to try and argue. There was no arguing with people like Vega. It wouldn't have stopped Zelda, but she didn't bother only because she shared his emotions… and some thought. Both were telling her he couldn't be reasoned with.

The witch didn't understand. What did she need to say or do to convince him that this was important?

After a time of seemingly never ending silence, Link rested his head on his paws and closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep. Zelda figured that was as good an idea as any and laid on her side, facing away from everyone else. She wasn't truly tired, however. She was actually waiting for Vega to sleep so her thoughts could be free and unchecked… At least, while he was asleep she hoped they were free. She eventually heard the star shift around. All of a sudden, her link with him seemed… quieted. Not gone, for she could still feel him somehow, but his mind seemed empty. The witch took that as him being asleep.

How could she convince him to grant this wish? And why was he so determined not to grant anyone's wishes? She could understand him not wanting to go back to his homeland… granting a wish surely wouldn't send him right back up, would it? That was the only reason she could think of for him not wanting to grant a wish, but no records she had ever read had told her that was the case. Perhaps the records weren't reliable? She was digressing, though. The king needed to be cured and Vega seemed to be the only available option. No matter what the cost, she needed Vega to do this.

She slowly sat up and glanced around her. The fire had died down and maker sat beside it, curled up in a ball. Link remained as he had been before, but the erratic eye movement behind his closed lids told her he was asleep and dreaming. Vega, much as she had, had his back to everyone else. He remained still, save for calm breathing. Satisfied that everyone was asleep, Zelda reached for her spellbook, which she had set aside. Opening it gently and as soundlessly as she could, she flipped the pages silently looking for something that may help her.

Just the thought of what she was looking for had her stomach knotting up. She remembered how Link was angered at her for the controlling nature behind the spells she had crafted were controlling. But just one more time couldn't be that bad… It was for a good cause. And it would be a spell she could handle for sure, this time. All she had to do was find an appropriate spell and when the time came… And she'd take it right back afterwards. It had to be short too; Vega would expect something otherwise…

As she flipped through the book, slowly and scanning each page carefully, she finally came upon something she was looking for. A spell of compulsion; it was within her limits and reversible. She gave a guilty glance to Vega but Zelda then remembered her mission. This was a necessary evil – she couldn't feel bad for it.

Nodding her head as a form of self-assurance, she closed the book quietly and then set it back aside. She lay back down, this time facing the wolf beside her and yawned. She was kind of tired…

Link grunted. She couldn't help but wonder if he had wolf dreams as a wolf. Zelda found herself frowning a little at that thought. If that was true, was she sapping away his humanity then? If that was the case… then even a sexist pig like Link didn't deserve such a fate… She bit her lip, disturbed by that thought. Disturbed by _herself_. She was the one causing all of this… And at the time, she thought she had been justified in doing so… But was she really?

_I should release his curse…_ She thought. At the same time, though, if she did do that… What were the chances that he would remain civil with her? Only up until she and Vega were two separate souls again rather than one soul mangled and mutated. After that… She was a witch, he was a page for the castle. He could have her thrown in the gaol.

Pursing her lips, she had come to a decision. For the moment, she would keep him cursed. When everything was all done with, she'd lift his curse and then run away. Run far, far away.

She relaxed, telling herself she'd sort out the rest of the details later.

Closing her eyes, sleep took her much faster than she expected… but she didn't object to it welcoming darkness.

Vega, on the other hand, was not asleep. He merely gave off the impression of being asleep by simply not thinking. He had basically turned his mind into a sponge, able to receive but that was all. His brain was now back to its normal state and digesting everything that he heard of Zelda's thoughts. Some parts didn't make sense, but he puzzled enough of it together to know she was going to try something. Something about compulsion…

He gritted his teeth. _She would dare try to enthrall me?_ He thought bitterly. And those were thoughts he hoped would haunt her dreams. It was time for him to concoct his own plan.

As soon as they arrived in Castle Town, he would separate from them. The link would weaken if he went too far a distance, so he couldn't go that far… But he needed to find some advanced magician - a wizard or sorcerer… Anyone who could release his accursed link with that irritating girl who thought magic was the answer to everything! And then he'd run… he would run far away, perhaps to the desert. The blistering heat and strong daylight would be the last place they would expect to find him.

_I bend to no one's will._ He thought bitterly.

He did not sleep.


	16. The Informants

Ah sorry for the few hours delay. Prom night ya'know. Had to do some dancing and partying... And then go to Denny's for some late night/early morning coffee. Good times, good times... But I did update, and you know what...? It's actually a normal length chapter. OHMYGAW... D:

* * *

The group began to move again when morning arrived, or at least what they presumed was morning. Link had departed soon after they woke to hunt down breakfast, this time not having to be ordered by Zelda. Vega had been more quiet and pensive than usual, and the witch wasn't quite sure why. She hoped it wasn't because he figured out anything of her plan, which she still felt partially guilty for going to have to do it later. But she quickly changed her mindset so her feelings of guilt would not reach the star. If they had, he didn't seem to notice.

After they ate, Makar proceeded to lead them through the forest, which seemed to get thicker and thicker the more they traversed through it.

"I was always under the impression-" Vega was cut off when a branch yanked his silver-white hair back. Scowling as he untangled the lock he continued, "-that forests thinned out towards the edges… At least they do up in Heaven." The last comment wasn't meant to be heard, but Zelda had managed to catch it.

Makar was quiet about it and offered no explanation. If Zelda had to guess, she'd say the little creature was concerned about something. The young witch wondered if she could ask. Actually, she wondered if the squat creature could answer given his limited thought processing. Something about this section of the forest seemed to concern him but she wondered if he could remember what.

"Link," she said to the wolf, who acknowledged her with a grunt. "Do you know any stories of a thicker part of the forest near the town?"

The wolf-page considered it for a moment. "_I recall something but I couldn't say what. Most people around the castle refuse to tell stories about the thickest parts of the forest. Something about horrid things… That in itself probably tells us we should keep our guards up._"

"I never let it down." Came Vega's smug remark.

Zelda rolled her eyes at that. She wondered how exactly it was that he could understand Link as a wolf; she doubted it had anything to do with their shared soul. It most likely had more to do with Vega being a creature of magic. Something like that was probably nothing to him.

"Makar, do you know anything about this part of the forest?" Zelda asked, feeling that asking might have been better than nothing at all. After all, the worst the Korok could say was no.

The little forest creature didn't answer immediately, but he did. "I… I think there's something I should know… But I don't remember. I don't feel too good about this part of the forest, though…"

"As well you shouldn't."

All four nearly jumped out of their skins.

"Cor blimey!" Vega's shouted as he caught sight of the giant owl, Kaepora Gaebora. "How… How the bleeding hell did…" he looked over at Zelda and Link incredulously. "He's a freaking giant owl, how the hell did he get here without us noticing?"

"What's a 'cor blimey'?" Makar asked.

Everyone ignored the little Korok as the owl made its strange laugh, a sound in between a screech and warbled hootings

"I merely came to warn you to use extreme caution when passing through this part of the forest. You are near your destination, but this is by far the most dangerous part of the forest. The Great Deku Tree's reach is limited here and dark creatures have made it their home. There is no way around, not unless you wish to delay your progress. If you do, however, I am most certain your king will die." Said the owl.

Snapping his jaws, Link answered, "_We can take anything that decides to hunt us down._" Zelda translated for him.

The owl let out a softer laugh. "Very well, then. I take my leave." He then spread his great wings, somehow maneuvering his giant form through the trees with what seemed to be little effort.

**_Not truly… owl…_**

Vega's thoughts permeated through Zelda's mind. Not truly an owl? She had to wonder what Kaepora Gaebora really was then… The blond girl couldn't help but notice their little Korok guide shivering, then.

"Are you alright?" She asked him.

The squat fellow shifted his gaze upwards in somewhat surprise. "Ah… I'm not sure… I'm scared."

Both Zelda and Vega shared their feelings of concern. Link on the other hand puffed out his furry chest in defiance. "_No kind of monster can stand against my blade… Or fangs, in this case._"

**_Idiot._**

It was thought both by the star and the witch.

Rolling his eyes, the star finally said, "We might as well continue."

* * *

Quinn frowned. He stood and walked to his window, the curtain still closed. He gently slid a section of it aside to catch a glimpse of the outside. Twilight was enveloping the castle walls and Castle Town in shades of orange and yellow. His gaze was not lingering on the many structures of all sizes and types below, however. No, he was looking beyond the actual town and to the forest nearby. There was something in that forest.

Stupid thought, he told himself. Of course there was something in the forest. Ever since he was a child he was always able to tell that there was something strange about the wood, as if there was a strange enchantment upon it. One didn't need to be a master mage to know that. People avoided it for a reason; even if people couldn't sense it the way he could, something in the subconscious mind told people to stay away from it. Whatever lived in the forest certainly wanted its privacy, and the people respected that. Fear had a way of doing that to people.

But something about the forest _now_, however, was different. The forest hadn't become more frightening or anything like that, but there was something different about it. There was something in it, like a walking magic focus. He was aware of another magic focus in the forest, but that one was stationary. This new one, this unfamiliar one, was moving…

And it coming towards the town.

The redhead let the curtain slip closed again, brushing that to the back of his mind. He would deal with it when it arrived and if it caused trouble. As for now, he had to meet with his informants.

He exited his study, locking it on the way out, and went to his quarters. They were modest, as far as rooms went in the castle… and Quinn's quarters held much the same feeling as his study. Dark, for the curtains were constantly closed; slightly messy, but an organized mess. There were books, lots of books, not all of them fitting in the shelves supplied so they were piled on top of each other on the floor. The only thing really looking absolutely untouched was his bed in the other room.

He went over to his dresser, pulling out clothing that wasn't of the Royal Wizard's office. The feminine looking young man took off his formal robes and replaced them with the normal garments he took out. As he was pulling the tunic over his shirt, there was a knock at his door. Before he could even address whoever had knocked, Anyway stepped in.

"Light a candle, would you?" She said not hiding her annoyance.

When he finished smoothing his tunic down, he snapped his fingers and muttered, "_Flaris_." The candles in the rooms of his quarters all flickered to life, spreading a dim glow of light.

Anya leaned against the doorway to his bedroom, looking him up and down.

"How very unusual. You almost look like a man." Said the Eldin province holder.

Quinn rolled his eyes. "I've somewhere to be soon and it isn't wise to be wearing the robes of my office in the town – especially when I'm trying to be secretive about it."

The brunette furrowed her brow. "You have somewhere to be? _Outside_ of the castle?"

"Try not to be shocked, Anya, but I _do_ have a social life."

She raised an eyebrow and smirked flirtatiously. "Do you now? How come you don't have a social life with me?"

The young wizard shot her a threatening glance. "Because you're not exactly trustworthy."

"At least you're honest about it." She said with a shrug, seeming to take no offense whatsoever.

"Why are you here?"

"Aside to drop by and visit a friend?"

He gave her a flat look.

"Tch, you're no fun sometimes… Ganondorf approached me. We've worked something out." Anya explained, her tone getting business like after her first sentence.

"Do you know what he's planning?" Asked Quinn, leaning against his dresser with his arms crossed.

"Not at all." Stated the woman. "He doesn't trust me completely and he has been very vague. He is the careful sort, much like you." She ignored his wince when she had compared him to Dragmire and continued, "All I could gather is that he is indeed after the crown. He promises great things for those who stand beside him. He also said that I would want to be on his good side and if that isn't a threat I don't know what is."

"It stands to reason that he would be wary of you. He is aware that we speak to each other frequently." Quinn said. He then began to walk out, letting Anya alone.

"Where are you going, if you don't mind my asking?" Asked the province holder.

The young wizard put on a mischievous grin, "I know some people who may be able to tell me more of what Dragmire is planning exactly. I'm to speak with them tonight."

The brunette frowned slightly and walked towards him, taking note how the younger man stepped back from her a little as she approached. She was only slightly dismayed by that, but enough so that she went to the door. "Just be careful."

"And the same to you." Said Quinn with a nod.

She smiled her own mischievous smile. "Oh, you needn't worry about me. Dragmire's actually not that bad of a lover."

Quinn did not hide his grimace as Anya left. Why did she always insist on saying such things?

After he was sure the province holder was gone, the feminine young man proceeded to exit his quarters. He left the castle without anyone questioning him or even seeming to care - which was good – and entered the town proper. Castle Town, despite the sun's setting, was still very much alive. The Market was closed for the day, that was true, but the inns and taverns were certainly filled and busy and people came and left them as he walked.

He stopped at a modest looking tavern called The Dancing Cat and entered. Tables were scattered about the inside, most of them crowded with people of all sorts. He ignored them and glanced around to see if his "friends" had arrived yet. They had not.

"Scuse me, sir? Would ye be needin a table?" Said a dreadfully thin serving girl.

Quinn smiled at her and nodded.

"This way, sir." Said the girl, leading him to a corner table.

He sat and then said, "Thank you. I'll be expecting at least two others soon."

The girl nodded, "Very well, sir. Can I get you anything while ye be waitin?" She asked.

"I'd prefer to wait for my company, but thank you for asking." He said politely.

The girl gave him a small smile and nodded. "Alright then, sir." And then she left.

The redhead didn't have to wait long before his company came. He could immediately feel when they arrived as a sense of cold preceded them. He shifted uncomfortably where he sat and could see that most others in the tavern could feel it too, except they didn't pay much heed to it. Quinn looked over to the entrance to see two cloaked figures. Both were tall, one slightly larger than the other, and both wearing cloaks. The cloaks had probably been white once upon a time, but time and travel had turned them into a dusty gray-brown. Their hoods were drawn up, covering their faces in complete shadow. The two walked, actually more glided, over to Quinn's table. The young wizard gestured for them to take a seat. He took the twitches of their hoods to be nods as they sat.

The serving girl came back a moment later. "What will you be having, sirs?"

The slightly larger of the hooded figures spoke first, "We will have tea, the best you can muster." His voice was most definitely male and accented, and his tone held the presence of a man with great confidence… and one who demanded respect.

"Just a light ale." Quinn said.

The serving girl nodded, "I'll be back in a moment." And then she left.

"How have you been?" The redhead asked his sandy-cloaked companions.

As before, the slightly larger of the two spoke. "As well as we will ever be at the moment."

People glanced uneasily at their little table.

The young wizard frowned as he noticed the uncomfortable glances to their table. "Are the hoods necessary?"

He could almost feel a smile from both figures. As always, the larger spoke, "Yes. You know as well as I that our occupation is… frowned… upon. It's best we not reveal our faces, lest everyone know exactly who to hunt down."

Quinn nodded in understanding. Necromancers weren't trusted folk.

The serving girl came back with three mugs. "That'll be seven, sirs. Two for the tea, three for the ale."

The redhead took out three rupees and added another just to be polite; the master necromancer took out his four. The serving woman took them with a smile, giving an appreciative nod to Quinn.

"So, did you learn anything?" The young wizard asked in a change of subject.

The master necromancer's hood twitched in a nod. "The desert is stirring. The Gerudo are getting restless."

"Restless?"

"They drill their troops more often and their king's second in command is absent from their lands. And there is more…" The necromancer said grimly before taking a sip from his mug.

His apprentice continued. His voice was similar to his master's but it was younger, unsure and quiet. He also spoke the language more fluently. "They have two witches of immense power… Power in magic and political standing there. Currently, they are the ones mustering the troops."

"Witches…" mumbled Quinn in concern. That couldn't be good. The necromancers before him were two of the most powerful magicians he knew of; if they were saying that these witches they saw were powerful, they were. And if the desert was preparing for war with those two witches, and Dragmire – being a mighty powerful warlock himself – was leading them… The Gerudo may have all been women, save for their leader but they were mighty warriors and their magic was just as dangerous as their blades. Against all of Hyrule's military and himself, and he was a poor wizard at best, Hyrule would most certainly lose.

He took a swallow of his ale and then asked nervously, "You're sure of their power?" The young wizard tried to hide the tremble in voice. He failed.

"Unfortunately." Said the master. He leaned into the table and said in a lower voice, "If the Gerudo King is not stopped, this country will perish under his reign."

"Then why won't you do anything to stop it?" It came out a little rougher than Quinn would've liked.

It was a bad idea.

The master necromancer did not hide a sense of anger, one that even his apprentice felt from his cringe. The necromantic energy swirling around him could be felt by everyone in the tavern and the noise around them silenced. "It is not in our place to choose sides, young wizard." He emphasized "young" ever so slightly. "Our order does not permit it and you would be wise not to ask again." He snapped.

Quinn winced, both from the frightening demeanor of the master necromancer and from all the faces staring at his small table. "Sorry…" He muttered. "I should've known better than to ask…"

"Yes, you should have." Said the necromancer. He sounded annoyed, but his tone was still gentle enough to say he had accepted the apology.

After a moment of silence, the rest of the tavern goers went back to their own business, if warily.

"Is there anything I can do…?" Asked the redhead gingerly.

"Watch the forest."

The Royal Wizard lifted an eyebrow in puzzlement.

The apprentice spoke. "You've probably sensed it… a moving magic focus in the forest. It would probably work to your benefit to keep it from Gerudo King."

Furrowing his brow, Quinn felt a little confused. "How much do you two really know?"

"You should know better than to ask." The master said warningly.

Quinn frowned slightly but said nothing.

The two necromancers then stood and as usual, the master spoke, "We shall be taking our leave. I hope that what we have said will be enough to help you and your countrymen." And as soon as he was done speaking, both he and his apprentice had glided out of the tavern, taking their strange coldness with them.

The feminine looking redhead massaged his forehead. Things seemed to get worse as each day passed…

* * *

Ah, the necromancers. Heehee. They're not new characters and they do play a different role in this story than I usually give them - not that that's a bad thing. I'm sure if some of you know enough or have read a few of my other stories then you'll know who they are. I won't try to hide their identities but their names will most likely not be given out in this story.


	17. Queen Gohma

Oh my! An extra chunky long chapter! And early too! I've been thinking, since I've managed to cut down to one story again (yay!) that I might go back to doing one update a week again. Let's see. I'll tell you next Saturday, or whenever I update next.

* * *

"Is it somehow getting darker?" Zelda asked warily.

"_Everything seems fine to me._" Link grunted.

Vega rolled his eyes. "You're a wolf, you don't rely on sight."

The wolf-page grunted and walked up beside Makar, who seemed to be getting clumsier the deeper they went into the forest.

"So, you agree with me, then?" The witch asked the silvertop.

"Yes. It has been getting darker, for what reasons I don't have the faintest." He said.

Zelda thought for a moment about the words of Kaepora Gaebora. "That giant owl said that the Deku Tree's reach was limited here… Makar, was it always like this?" She asked.

The squat Korok shakily said, "N-no… I kind of remember venturing this far a few times before… But it was never like this…"

Even Link became intrigued by that statement. "_How long ago was your last visit?_"

The small forest creature thought it over for a moment, pausing in his tracks. "A few years ago, I think. Longer than I thought…"

"_Do you know how many years, exactly?_"

"Six, I think."

A low growl escaped from the collared wolf.

"And what seems to have gotten your goat?" Vega asked the wolf curiously.

After a moment, Link's ears twitched and he said, "_Nothing._"

**_He's lying._** Zelda thought.

**_Nice one… couldn't figure that out._**

Vega's sarcasm could get quite annoying sometimes, but Zelda didn't dwell on it too much. The last thing both of them wanted at the moment was to be annoyed with each other.

For a while, there was silence amidst the group, with the exception of Makar's jingling noises. The forest seemed to get thicker and thicker, becoming increasingly difficult to traverse and it also seemed to be getting darker and darker. No one in their small group was quite sure how, given that even before there was no sunlight coming in through the trees… If anything, the darkness didn't even have to do with lighting but more of a heavy feeling that kept getting stronger and stronger as they passed through.

All four members of the group paused.

Something moved.

Link turned on one of his paws and growled into the darkness.

"W-what is it?" Makar asked nervously.

Vega ignored the squat Korok and gritted his teeth. "Ducky… do you sense anything?"

Zelda didn't need to feel his worry and concern to feel it on her own. Something had moved, and was still moving in the darkness. Worst of all, she had no idea what it was. Whatever it was, it wasn't magical. Actually, that was wrong too. There was something magical about it, but nothing she was used to. Much like she wasn't used to the silvertop's magic. The only difference was, what she was feeling now was _evil_. Just plain evil. And it was everywhere.

"No…" She said in barely a whisper.

"Bender, can you see it, then?" The star asked the wolf.

So concentrated was Link, he didn't even think about the beginning of the star's question. "_I can't see it… but I smell it. It reeks of fear and death._"

"I do so hate it when ominous warnings play out…" The silver-white haired man said under his breath.

Makar squeaked something, probably not anything coherent, and shuffled near Zelda's leg, shivering uncontrollably.

Whatever had moved was not trying to hide its presence anymore. It was shuffling around them, making noise. And from the amount of noise it was making, it sounded absolutely massive. There were the sounds of cracking wood and rustling leaves and bushes everywhere; and then following all that was the sound of something dragging along behind it. Perhaps a part of its body? Whatever the case, it sent shivers up the spines of the three humanoids and almost caused the small Korok to faint.

They weren't completely blind however. Link, with his canine senses, followed the creature with his own gaze, growling lowly the whole time. Both Zelda and Vega shifted movement with the wolf beside them, going in circles. Had they been going fast, they surely would have been dizzy. But the creature was taking its time circling them, mocking them.

A strange cackling then sounded around them. The voice was warbly, raspy… old. "What is this I smell? I smell magic… great, great magic. Delicious, delicious magic… I haven't sensed such magic since the Old Days… And I am _hungry_." The voice seemed to crackle with each word. Then, out of the darkness a light appeared… and pupil rolled down. It was an eye, and it was staring right at them. It looked at the small group with malicious glee. A horrible hiss then escaped from the eye's direction. "I will eat your life-force and your delicious magic!"

Link barked. A claw came smashing down upon them.

Vega cursed. Loudly. But he still managed to throw out a shield before them, causing the monster's giant pointed claw to slide down the invisible wall with an ear piercing screech.

"Korok," the star croaked, struggling to hold the shield before them. "A light! Make a light!"

Despite the fear evident in the little creature's demeanor, he shakily produced a leaf that cast a greenish glow around their area.

Zelda screamed.

"_What in the name of the goddesses is _that?!" Despite being a wolf, Link's bark/growl sounded surprised and disgusted. Mostly disgusted.

"How the bleeding hell am I supposed to know?!" Vega snapped. Even he was having an unpleasant time looking at the monster. It resembled a giant, armor-plated spider. What didn't make it a spider was that its legs were all clawed and it had only one eye, not to mention it had to be the size of small cottage. Its hard, scaly, plate-like skin was a sickly green-black color, the sheer creepiness enhanced by the green light of Makar's leaf. And now that it was closer, the rank smell of its body was stinging their very eyes. It stunk of corpses.

Wolf-Link immediately jumped from the shields at the claw, clamping on its leg with his fangs and not letting go. The monster seemed more annoyed than in pain. It shrieked and shook the leg on which Link was latched onto. The collared wolf did not let go and if anything clamped his jaws even tighter on the claw-leg. The witch and the star used Link's distraction to their advantage. Vega unleashed one of his golden flame-lances, glittering stardust following its trail to the monster. Zelda sent her own fire blast in the direction of the star's lance. By comparison, hers looked absolutely unrefined but it was really no time to be thinking about such things like that. Unrefined was better than no magical defenses at all.

The monster hissed at the fire and stepped back, ignoring the wolf still latched on its leg. However, after the sting of the fire had left, a flash of anger passed through the creature's eye. It lunged at them – powerfully; the lunge was so sudden that Link lost his grip and fell roughly on his side.

Zelda and Vega launched another series of fire blasts and lances, but the creature did not even acknowledge them. It rammed right through the wall of flames, thrusting its very thorax at the two. Once again, the star quickly put up a shield, but this one was sloppy and almost failed. Both spellcasters nearly retched at the foul stench of the beat, this time seeming stronger than before.

Zelda did end up retching when she saw where the stench was coming from. Makar fainted.

The thorax of the spider-like creature wasn't even really a thorax. It was a mouth, a large gaping mouth with double layers of serrated, yellowing teeth with steaming saliva dripping down from them. A small, stumpy tongue wiggled toward the shield but it didn't reach and the sticky saliva dripped down to the grass, burning it.

"Shit!" Vega both said it aloud and thought it.

The witch groggily stood, but her face was stern and staring right at the gaping mouth.

"Give me your life; your _magic_!" The mouth hissed, spraying its acid-like saliva and bad breath at them. But as soon as it finished speaking, it clamped its mouth shut, leaving its thorax protected and armor plated.

Just as the star's shield was about to crumble under the pressure of the giant arachnid-like creature's weight, wolf-Link jumped onto the thing's back and began chomping down on it. Luckily for the collared wolf, he had been biting down on a sensitive place near the creature's eye, causing it to howl out in pain. It flailed around and way from the silvertop and the blond, trying to throw Link off of itself.

**_Hit the eye!_** Zelda's thoughts permeated through to Vega.

Rather than pointing out that obvious statement, the star prepared another fire lance, waiting for the creature to flail at the right angle to hit the eye without hitting the idiot wolf. He gritted his teeth when that wasn't happening.

Zelda managed to spot an opportunity for herself and threw a blast of fire towards the monster's eye. The monster screeched shrilly at the heat harming its eye, but Link was forced to let go. The flames had not burned his skin, but they did singe off a patch of his fur.

"Ducky, control your flames!" The star snapped.

Zelda winced but kept her attention on the screaming creature, which was now retreating back into the trees.

The monster did not immediately reappear, but no one moved a muscle in case it should return. But after standing still for a bit, the creature did not come back.

The young witch scuttled carefully to the fallen Makar taking his lit up leaf and fanning him with it, trying to ignore the star's growing irritation. Link shook off his burnt fur.

The witch sensed Vega's peak of irritation. He didn't hide his anger any more.

"Where did you learn to control your magic? Or have you even attempted to do so?" he snapped.

She flinched, but didn't say anything. As irritated as she was, it was from Vega's side. She was feeling more ashamed, but she wondered if the star could feel that at all through his own emotion. She felt a small twinge of guilt surge through her, but the star said nothing to confirm it. He just stared at the witch harshly.

Growling at Vega, Link stepped in front of Zelda.

"Oh drop it, Nancy." The star said flatly. "She almost killed you and you know it."

Before the wolf could say anything to that, Zelda snapped on her own.

"It's not like I haven't tried!" She cried, her tone sounding more distressed than angry. Her face was focused below her, at the unconscious Korok she held in her arms. But somehow, both star and wolf felt that she was looking more at nothing than the creature.

Link, feeling sorry for the girl, walked gingerly towards her, nudging her arm in a comforting doggy-like fashion. He didn't like to see girls in distress. The wolf struggled momentarily to find something nice to say. All he could come up with was, "_You… you can control it just fine…_"

"No, I can't!" She choked.

Vega winced as he could sense the overwhelming sadness and frustration in the girl. He felt his eyes stinging, and he realized that the girl was probably crying. All of a sudden, he felt even guiltier for what he had just started in the girl.

"_Sure you can,_" Link said, almost surprised at himself that he was really concerned for the witch, "_I mean, you can change me into a wolf and back to human at will…_"

"I lied…" Zelda whispered.

The wolf-page felt the panic rise in him for a moment. "_About what?_" he squeaked.

She glanced at him, her lips trembling. "Not about you… About something else." She closed her eyes tightly, as if trying to hold back tears, but they came down anyway. Facing back at Makar she continued in between sobs, "The witches I lived with, Maple and Syrup… I didn't leave them, they forced me to leave. They said my magic was too uncontrollable… that they couldn't keep me around because uncontrollable magic would end up drawing unpleasant things to me… I… I've tried… I didn't want to leave but…"

Had Link a human face, he would've frowned. Instead, he just nudged his head through the crook of one of her arms in a wolfy hug. Zelda kept facing down, sobbing silently over he still knocked out Makar.

**_… sorry… didn't know…_**

The young witch glanced over at the star. She couldn't see him too well since her vision was blurry from tears, but she knew she didn't have to see his face to know he was genuinely sorry for starting this whole thing.

Makar finally began to stir as a tear hit his leafy mask-face. He grumbled something and attempting to stand on his own. He then squeaked and fainted again.

The other three looked at the squat Korok strangely, but then they all perked up.

The arachnid monster… They could all sense it in their own way. But they had all been so distracted with each other they had noticed its return. Link leapt from Zelda's arm and circled around the area in a predatory fashion. Both Vega and Zelda kept their eyes open.

The blond witch shuddered as something soft fell onto her arm. She looked at her arm, trying to find what fell but seeing nothing. Slightly bothered by that, she lifted her arm a bit and felt whatever had fallen slip down. She froze as the green leaf-light caused a glimmer on the thread that had fallen on her… A soft, silky, almost transparent thread. Zelda shuddered, lifted the brim of her hat and slowly looked up.

**_Shit._** Both Vega and Zelda thought it.

Slowly descending upon them were dozens, maybe scores, of tiny little one-eyed, armor plated spiders. And above them was the giant arachnid, its eye, now red and swollen, gleaming with malicious joy as its newly hatched babies descended upon them to exact revenge.

Worst of all, there were eggs above with the mother - hundreds of eggs, all hanging from the tops of the trees.

Before Zelda could launch a fire blast, Vega told her to stop via thought.

"Think about it." Said the star firmly.

Trying to temporarily shut out the baby monsters sifting down slowly, she did think about it and she did see the silvertop's point. If she used any kind of flame magic on these creatures, she would be spelling out the death of everyone present. Just because one could cast fire magic didn't mean that they were protected from the very flames they directed. In fact, sloppily directing them could kill the caster.

"What do we do?" She croaked hoarsely.

"Magic isn't the answer to everything, Ducky." Vega said plainly. "Change your little friend back."

The wolf-page immediately began wagging his tail at that comment. Zelda had a mind to refuse at first, but she realized it might be easier for Link to fight had he the advantage of height. Wolves were big animals, but not horribly tall. If he was human again, he would have the advantage of height… and a blade. With a nod, she reversed Link's transformation.

The page, now on two legs with a pair of arms, resisted jumping for joy at being back in his normal state. There were more pressing matters at stake at the moment. He would jump for joy if they made it through this situation.

He drew his sword as the first of the little arachnids drifted down, slicing it in two. Unlike its large parent up above, its armor was not strong enough to stand up to a blade. So he hacked and slashed at each one of the little monsters that came near him. He worried about his back, but he did manage to catch of glimpse of something hacking and slashing just behind him. But with what blade, he had to wonder.

As a larger more matured monster came down, he told himself he'd think about it later and keep slashing what he could.

What was behind him, hacking and slashing along with him, was actually Vega. Zelda watched, trying to keep her mouth closed at the spectacle. The star wasn't using a sword, at least not a true one. It was more like a shining extension of his arm. Like a blade made of stardust. And much like most of the magic that the star casted, the magical blade had a shimmering streak of magical residue follow it. Webs and greenish blood spattered everywhere as the two men killed the arachnid babies, but Zelda remained mostly untouched by the blood.

The initial feeling of wonder left, quickly.

As the two men around her fought off the hordes of little baby monsters, Zelda suddenly felt very useless. The men were fighting… she was just standing there tending to the knocked out little Korok. But it wasn't like Makar was going to go anywhere, and it wasn't like they could run anywhere. At the same time, she didn't have as much control over her Gift as Vega did to form an elemental blade. She gritted her teeth, angry at herself for not being able to control what she could do…

The great arachnid mother shifted above them in the tree tops. Zelda looked up at it. Its eye was staring right at her, and the eggs all around her were beginning to wiggle. She held in a gasp as she realized that all the eggs around the mother monster were stirring. The star and the page couldn't take all those things falling down. they would be overrun… She had to do something.

Laying Makar down, and perhaps not as gently as would be nice, she stood. It may end up killing them all, but she had to try something.

**_Not fire!_** She heard the star plead.

But what else could she do?

The mother monster turned in her place again. "I'll eat you first little female." Said the creature in sadistic delight.

A twinge of anger flared through her. Her defiance suddenly ran through her and she narrowed her eyes at the armor plated beast before her. _Hell if I'm dying by being eaten by an overgrown spider!_

Fire was useful for destruction, but she recalled a mage from a long, long time ago who caused great destruction through another kind of magic. Zelda smirked. While it wasn't the young witch's specialty, she had practiced it, and it was easier to control than fire.

She whistled.

Whistling was the best way for her to do this kind of magic. Everyone had their own way of doing magic. For wind magic, she needed to whistle.

Closing her eyes, she let the sound escape her lips, the whistle charged with her will. Whether or not the other two of the group knew what she was doing, she didn't pay any attention. In fact, at that very moment, she felt like her own person again rather than being connected to Vega constantly.

Wind was freedom after all.

Zelda had no idea what kind of tune she whistled, but she did know that a gust of wind was flowing through the forest, somehow winding its way unblocked through the trees. The baby spiders' webs blew with the wind, tangling them up with each other. But she didn't stop there; she threw her hands in the air, causing an updraft. She whistled a higher note. Just as her own whistle sharpened, so did the wind, or at least it seemed to. Whatever actually happened, slices could be heard. Dozens and dozens of squishy slices. She opened her eyes and stopped whistling as globules of what was left of the babies and eggs and all her companions. Vega even paused and grimaced.

Link didn't stop, however. The large mother monster screeched in rage at the death of her children. She unhooked her claws, about to slam down to them. Somewhere in between that time, Link threw his sword into the eye of the beast. It screeched again, this time in pain. The sword still in its eye it slammed into the floor, but not nearly as gracefully as it had originally planned. It flailed and crashed into trees, unable to see. Green blood oozed from what was left of its eye. It went on that way for a good chunk of time, until it finally lost too much blood and sagged down.

It twitched… and then it became still. Link, Vega, and Zelda reluctantly walked near it. The page kicked it.

No reaction.

At least not an immediate one.

Perhaps a full three seconds after Link kicked it, the dying arachnid lunged forward. But it did not lunge to the collared page. It lunged in Zelda's direction, its ugly thorax opening up revealing its hideous mouth. The witch squealed and fell on her butt. She pushed herself back as quickly as she could away from the mouth and its smell of corpses.

"I want… your life-force…" Were the giant monster's last hissing words before it finally, truly fell and died.

And they all knew it died this time because it turned to ashes. And as it turned to ashes, the part of the forest they were in that had seemed so dark drastically lightened… The feeling of the Deku Tree's presence seemed to return.

This time, Vega was the one to kick at the remains in a "just in case" measure.

Link and Zelda sighed in relief.

"It's finally dead…" Said the page. He glanced over at Zelda, still seemingly shocked. "And I guess I wouldn't have been able to kill it had it not been for you…"

That caught the witch's attention. She smiled broadly, but before she could properly say anything to that Vega had to ruin the moment.

"That's all well and good but do any of you realize that the creature hadn't inhabited this space until six years previous? And how it mentioned the Old Days?" The star said. He glanced at the two, concern adding lines to his seemingly young face. "How did this _thing_ get here?"

The good mood that Link and Zelda were in was ruined, then. It was a disturbing thought. That creature had been old… and deadly, that was obvious. And it hadn't always been in the forest…

**_… impossible… not even… not… refuse to be tied… fate!_**

Vega's bitter thoughts permeated through her mind but she said nothing. She just watched the star, the anger in face as he stared back at the ashes that had once been a great demon of some sort. Despite being the one that asked the disturbing question, Zelda had a feeling that Vega knew more about what was going on then he was letting on.

And she wasn't sure which was more disturbing: How the creature was brought to the forest or how much the star knew exactly.

* * *

You see, I could've split this chapter in two, but if I did that... Well, I'd feel bad if I left you guys with a cliffhanger.

ANYWAYS, in case no one figured it out from chaoter title... That big monster is Gohma. Now since they don't know what the moster is, I didn't use the whole name throughout the chpater for that reason. I also hope no one minds if I personlized Gohma a bit. They never ever show a whole mouth bit, but I'm suure it has to eat SOMEHOW. And wouldn't it just be creepier if it could talk? I kind of wish I was able to add that creepy looking text just to make her speech seem that much more creepier. But I can't... Oh well.


	18. The Great Escape

OH MAI! ANOTHER EARLY CHAPTER?! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME?! So I probably will go back to doing once a week updates. Official days being Saturdays of course. Depending on how fast I loose these chapters you might get early updates. You see, I have this nasty habit then when I do write chapters out, I can't let them wait because it drives me nuts and I always think I'll forget about them. D: So always assume chapters will come out on Saturdays, but be pleasantly surprised when they don't. XD

** Legend of Zelda 4 Life**: Yay! I'm glad I made it creepy. I'm kind of obsessed with creepy. 8D And to answer your review from Chap 16, yes, those are who the necromancers are. What can I say, they're my favorites. XD

**Sere**: Yessssss, Vaati reference. He may not be in the story, but hell he will have at least that ONE reference in the story! XD

* * *

Vega flinched every time Link snored. He could understand the mortal expression of "sawing logs" now. He didn't quite understand why in the forest, in the few days that Link was human there, there was no snoring. Perhaps it had to do with the level of comfort? If that was the case then he certainly wished that the bedding consisted only of a forest floor then. He was hoping to get at least a little sleep before he made his escape attempt but this, added to the fact that sleeping at night was still difficult for him, made it virtually impossible. He was irritated, but he was just glad he could still sense Zelda being calm enough in her sleep - restless sleep which was probably his fault, but all that mattered was that she remain asleep.

Carefully, he slipped out of his bed and quietly put on his boots. He glanced back ever so slightly just to make sure that Link was still snoring away. The page was still undisturbed so he slid off the bed, wincing slightly at the creak the floorboards made. The page kept up his horrible snoring so Vega continued by walking slowly to the door. The star paused and then turned around a bit and took some rupees from Link pouch, then resumed his way back to the door. He let out a silent sigh of relief, turned the handle of the door and pushed it open.

"Where are you going?" Link asked groggily.

The star froze and then turned slowly. "I'm going to get a glass of water." He said blankly.

The page's eyes were half closed and groggy, saying he was still mostly asleep. It took him a few seconds to register the words before he said, "Oh… okay…" And then he fell back onto his pillow and continued to snore the night away.

This time, the star didn't silence his sigh. He left the room and closed the door, feeling strangely guilty for lying to Link like that. He caught himself and shuddered with a grimace. _Damn that girl…_ he thought.

Still feeling slightly disturbed, he put up his hood and stuffed his hair back inside of it again. He walked quietly past Zelda's room and then sped up. Making it to the counter, where a different worker was now standing, a man, he gave him a red rupee and said, "I came here with two others: a kid with a collar and a girl in blue robes. If either asks about me, you didn't see me."

The man eagerly nodded and pocketed the rupee. Satisfied, Vega walked out of the inn. All he had to do now was find a skilled wizard or some such. He walked away from the inn, just to be careful, before pausing and closing his eyes. He let his sense wander.

There were quite a few masses of magical energy around. He ignored the uncontrolled massive magic-focus at the inn, for that was Zelda. There was another feeling of magic at the castle, two to be exact, but he didn't like them. The first was weaker, and seriously would not do. The second sent shivers down his spine. It was extremely powerful, that was true, but it was just so damned unsettling he refused to get anywhere near it. Something about it just frightened him to no end. And the more he lingered on that sense, the more he felt like throwing up. That second one was just… just pure _evil_… He could sense the malice like it was right in front of him. He quickly tore his senses away from it and desperately sought others.

There were several others throughout the area, and he was glad to find them. They were extremely weak, but anything was better than sensing that other presence…

Then his senses sent him a slap in the face. Two, _two_, senses of great magic. They weren't as powerful as the evil magic from before, but reasonably powerful and, unlike Zelda, controlled. But something about these senses also sent shivers up his spine. They weren't evil… but something about this kind of magic seemed perverse. But right now they were his only hope for potentially being one soul again. He honed in on the creepy senses and twitched his nose in irritation. It was such an unfamiliar magic that he could only place the general area but not the exact place, not that he would know that, either, since the town was so unfamiliar to him.

Well, wherever it was, it was somewhere to the east, perhaps on the outskirts of the town.

Vega frowned.

He really wished he had a map or something.

"Now why's a man wandering around while wearing a hood in the middle of the night?"

The voice was feminine and purring. He glanced back, more wondering who he was going glare at than curiosity. The star ended up being slightly startled at what he saw. He had noticed early on in his arrival onto the earth that most of the population of Hyrule was fair-skinned and light eyed. This woman on the other hand was much different. She was bronze-skinned with an angular yet still feminine face. Her hair was also a flaming red and her eyes were a dark gold that seemed to gleam just like a cat's. She also wore a cloak of a different pattern than he'd seen normal Hylians wear… a desert pattern perhaps? He couldn't help but note a strange angle inside of the cloak, no doubt a blade.

"So?" She asked again, "Are you going to answer or not?" She didn't sound threatening but she did seem genuinely interested.

He mulled it over for a moment and studied the woman again, this time with his senses. The hooded star frowned. She seemed to have little to no magic in her, but there was magic around her… of the evil variety that made him want to empty his bowels. "I don't particularly care to answer."

"You wound me, stranger." She replied with mock sorrow. "But perhaps you would tell me what you're doing out this late at night?"

"I would ask you the same."

She laughed; it was a lovely laugh that was truly amused. "A clever, mysterious man. Fine, I'll leave your business alone." The stranger told him. She then turned and began to walk off.

"Then why even speak to me in the first place?" He asked curiously.

She paused and glanced back at him. "You seemed interesting is all. Anything else you'd like to ask?"

"Well, since you've asked…" he started, "What's the place furthest east of this town?"

She gave him a small smile. "You make yourself more mysterious, stranger. That's the graveyard."

Vega nodded. "Thank you."

The woman inclined her head back and then continued on her way.

The star wasn't sure whether or not to be disturbed by the fact that the strange and creepy magic was at a graveyard. Nonetheless, he didn't really have any choice. If those two people could right the wrong that the stupid little witch had thrown upon them, he'd take it.

He followed the signs through the maze of a Town. He had no idea one place could cramp so many buildings together. The smell told him otherwise, but he tried to block it out for the most part. That creature from the forest had breath far more foul so there was no reason to be disgusted by the smell. After all, compared to the last town he'd been in, this place was absolutely pristine with its lack of above ground sewage. He wondered how they maintained sewage tunnels beneath the ground and aqueducts… he just wished that people actually through all their waste into the sewage pipes provided.

As the buildings thinned and became more spaced apart, Vega began to feel the chilly magic of the two people he had sensed. At that point, he abandoned using the signs as his guides and went straight to his senses.

It wasn't long before he found creaky, half-open, black metal gates. He sidled through the gates, as to avoid opening them anymore and causing them to squeak. As soon as he was past he looked of the magic casters he sought.

The graveyard was larger than Vega thought, but then again there was a sizeable Town just ten steps away. There were great stone tablets jutting out of the ground everywhere out of very green grass. Well, the grass did have reasonably good fertilizer. Near some of the stones were dying flowers from those who had come to see lost loved ones earlier during the day, others had lanterns sitting by the tablets, and a small amount of the graves in sight were fresh with the dirt still up in small mounds. And then there were the very old graves, where the tablets before them had faded and names and inscriptions could not be read. All the way towards the back was a separately gated section, no doubt where the royalty were commemorated (for royalty was cremated, from what he had heard) and the nobility was buried. As far as the star could see, he saw no magic casters.

But he certainly felt them and he did put two and two together. The silvertop had to wonder how wise it was to put his fate in the hands of necromancers…

He shuddered, feeling the icy chill of their magic near him. Glancing to the side, he finally saw them. Two tall figures of similar height in sandy cloaks. They were facing him.

Vega pushed back any second thoughts he had and stepped up. He opened his mouth to speak but the slightly taller of the two raised a hand in a "stop" gesture.

"I see what is wrong with you, denizen of the sky." Said the slightly taller of the two.

His own hood was still up. The star did not want to know how the necromancer knew what he was. "Can you fix it?"

They remained silent for a moment and the first one spoke again. "Not completely. To fully undo it would require the presence of your current other half. Even then I do not think I could fully undo it."

He frowned. That wasn't good. He couldn't do that, that was for sure. "What can you do, then?"

"Weaken the bond, untie some of the knots. That's all. It might unravel given time but it is doubtful."

Suppressing a grumble, the star then began to give a thought as to why this necromancer seemed to be so happy to help. "What do you want in return?"

"Nothing really. Two souls should not be bonded together. We may be necromancers but that does not make all of us evil. I've seen bonded souls – dead bonded souls. It is not something that is… enjoyable… to see or deal with."

"No rest for the wicked." Vega commented, "How will I know you won't bind my currently dog's dinner of a soul to your will."

"I swear on my magic as a wizard and necromancer not to do so."

A nudge from the master necromancer to the apprentice necromancer and the apprentice said, "Same here…"

"So you will help?" Vega asked

The hood of the master necromancer twitched lightly in a nod. "But be warned: it _will_ be painful."

"I won't whinge about it so long as you can get at least some of my problem sorted." Replied Vega plainly.

"Very well."

* * *

Zelda awoke to a great pain inside of her. It was piercing, blinding, absolutely terrible pain. She screamed and flailed in her bed, feeling tears sting at her eyes. She fell off of the bed, but the pain surging through her was so great she hadn't felt it. She scratched at her face and convulsed violently. Why was she in so much pain? And why wouldn't it stop? She heard someone yelling, but she wasn't sure if it was herself or someone else. All she felt was pain, such unbearable pain… It was as if something was being torn from the deepest recesses of her mind and body. Pain that made her just want to end it all…

And then it stopped.

She kept screaming for a moment after the pain stopped before running out of breath. She crawled onto all fours and anted heavily as she stared at the wooden floor.

"Zelda!" Link cried, kneeling down by her. He made a move as if to help her but he hesitated, as if he was afraid she'd bite. "Zelda, are… are you okay?"

The witch kept her gaze on the floor for a moment, still wondering about the strange, unbearable pain she had suffered from just a few moments earlier. For some reason, she felt terribly alone… but not quite. A thought crossed her mind. "Where's Vega?"

The page looked at her with a puzzled expression and then it dawned on him as well. They both scrambled up and ran to the other room. Vega was gone.

"He… He left…" Zelda said in barely a whisper. "Something must've happened to him…"

"Is he dead?" Link asked.

"No… if he was then I would be dead too… But he was in such terrible pain…"

"Crap, I should've known…" Link muttered. "He was wearing his boots and all…"

The witch looked at the page strangely. "What?" Link relayed the story to her from earlier that night and she remained quiet, with a pensive look on her face. After a moment she cried, "That idiot! He's going to get himself killed or worse! We need to find him, put on your boots!"

She rushed back to her own room and grabbed her own pair of boots, slipping them on quickly and sloppily. Link came rushing in a few minutes later.

"How will we know where to go?" He asked, hoping she wouldn't turn him back into a wolf.

Perhaps guessing that thought Zelda said, "I might be able to track him by our soul."

She closed her eyes and concentrated. She frowned.

"What is it?"

"Something… Well… it's not wrong… it's more as it should be actually…" Said the witch in a slightly confused tone. "We're still connected… but not as much as before. It's as if we've become more separate again, but are still one soul-" Her eyes shot open and a look of shock and horror came upon her expression. "He's escaped…"

"Huh?"

She looked at him, expression remaining the same. "He's escaped. He's weakened our bond so he can get further away from me… So I'll have a hard time being able to track him…"

Link cursed. Loudly. "We were so close!"

"We have to find him before he leaves!" She said. She shut her eyes again and concentrated. "East! I don't know where exactly but he's in the eastern part of town!"

They rushed out of the inn, Link taking his sword and shield just in case. Zelda felt very confused since she still couldn't focus completely on Vega. It was true she wanted to be two separate souls again… but she never realized how important the binding spell was until that moment. The gravity of how much they needed Vega was resurfacing and they needed to find him… but the weakening of their bond was troubling her. He was planning to leave but how far could he go from her exactly? And how did he weaken the bond? To say she was getting frustrated at the moment was an understatement.

Link, however, paused for a moment and looked back.

"What are you stopping for?!" The witch asked him angrily.

The page cocked his head at the person they had just run past. He seemed so familiar… He was a ranger, but his hair was short and dark. "Nothing… I just could've sworn that guy was Vega for a moment… Let's go!" And they both continued off on their search.

The ranger they had passed turned a bit, smiling at the two that had run past. Amazing what a haircut and little appearance changing magic could do. Vega twirled his significantly shorter, now blackened hair in his fingers. He couldn't say he was crazy about the haircut, but anything to get away from those idiots. The best part was, appearance changing magic was such a simple task that most magicians couldn't even sense it unless they actually took the time to look for it.

The disguised star chuckled to himself and then went back onto his way. So happy was he, he jumped up and clapped his boots together while in the air.

"Well, well, the man's got his hood down."

It was the desert woman before, he cat-like eyes gleaming at him. This time he smiled when he saw her.

"Miss, it seems to have occurred to me that you are Gerudo." Vega told her.

She gave him an enigmatic smile. "Yes… what of it?" While she didn't look it, her tone of voice seemed slightly threatening.

"Oh, it's nothing against your race, lady. I was just wondering… would you be going back to your desert any time soon?" He asked, putting all his respect and manners into that sentence.

The woman forked an eyebrow. "Perhaps… if you are hoping to join me, the Gerudo do not look nicely on men."

"You don't realize how much I need to get out of here." Vega said, changing his tone from polite to flat.

Her eyes glittered and she smiled again. "You might useful then… Fine then, stranger." She walked up to him and held out her hand. "My name's Nabooru."

He took her hand and they shook. "Rigel." Said the star. Giving his real name wouldn't be the best of ideas.

"Traveling by night is best for the Gerudo. We're not exactly welcome here… You wouldn't mind leaving now, would you?"

"The sooner the better." Answered the star.

"Then let's be off, Rigel."

* * *

I CUT OFF HIS HAIR!!! I'm very upset about that. I really liked Vega's hair. Fun fact that no one probably cares about but Rigel was the name he used throughout most of his original story.


	19. To Track a Star Again

_GOD DAMN I WANT MY DIET COKE_. EFFYOUALLARRGH! I'm sorry... the lack of soda has me all... tense. Good Lord I'm addicted...

Also, it's been very rainy and nasty, and my internet is being a pain in the ass... I don't like it. I don't like it at all. D:

**Legend of Zelda 4 life**: vega is a real star's name too, actually. But yes, I decided to be TOTALLY CREATIVE and take names from the sky. XD And don't worry, you're not the only one with a sick mind. To say that thought didn't cross my mind either would be lying. But they're not; don't worry about that.

**Sere**: I actually never cared too much for Nabooru. I insert her into the stories but... yeah, never saw her as much more than a character. i mean, I suppose now that I've used her in stories more often, yeah she's cool. But before... didn't really care... And the necromancers are my favorite! But of course I like them, they are my OCs...

* * *

"I'm going to make sure I have heard everything you said very clearly…" Ganondorf said, pacing back and forth in the deep and dank dungeons of the castle. Zant was standing in the shadows, standing erectly and nervously. "The star was right in the town… and you let him slip away?"

"W-well, I d-didn't mean t-to, Master…" Stuttered Zant. While the Gerudo was speaking quietly, the blue man knew there was an intense amount of rage hidden within the voice.

With a seemingly tired sigh, the dark man stopped his pacing and faced his servant. He lifted a hand, a slight glow came and went, and on his had was a beating lump of blush flesh. Giving his servant a pitying look, Ganondorf asked, "Do you know what this is, Zant?"

The blue man gulped and nodded shakily. "Y-yes…"

"No. You don't." Said the Gerudo firmly. "Because if you did know what this is, you wouldn't have failed so miserably."

Zant wanted to flinch, but he couldn't. His eyes were glued to the lump of flesh in Ganon's hand.

Ganondorf finally snarled "_This is your heart, Zant._" And then he squeezed the pulsating blue lump. Zant cried out in pain and grabbed at the left side of his chest, falling to his knees. The dark man squeezed the heart tightly again, but not so tight that it would have caused death. While the blue idiot's failure was probably worthy of death, the creature still had his uses. Only when he was satisfied that the Twili creature had suffered enough did he let go.

The blue man shivered at the loss of the sudden pain. Panting, he managed to stand himself up again, if a little weakly.

The heart had left Ganon's hand and the dark man stared angrily at his servant. "Go find Nabooru. She should be on her way out of the town. Tell her to keep a lookout for a white haired ranger with a young face." He then started on his way out of the dark dungeon but paused, as if he almost forgot something. "Try not to mess up."

The Twili man cursed as soon as his master cleared the room. He kicked at a puddle and cursed again. Not that he hadn't always regretted, but now more than ever did he regret. Decades ago he was cast from his own realm in his attempt to usurp the throne… Leaving himself with no choice he went to the castle, offering his services as a spy to any of the higher politicians. Sure, it was chaotic, and he was the reason for a whole lot of issues within the very political structure of Hyrule… But never this. He had always dabbed a bit in every single politician, but this one… Ganondorf… He had no idea how it happened, but this Gerudo man managed to control every single thing about him… all because he somehow had taken control of his heart…

But if he kept feeling sorry for himself, his heart would stop beating so… back to work.

The blue man fell into the shadows and wandered the darkness. Through and out the castle, into the town where the shadows were still abundant since it was only dawn. The town still gave him trouble, though, because there were a couple of people running around about a stolen horse. He weaved carefully past the people and into the fields that led to the desert. He found Nabooru with no problems, but was a bit puzzled to see that she was traveling with a man.

He jumped into Nabooru's shadow and felt the shadow contort as the woman wriggled in discomfort.

"Excuse me, Rigel. I need to… take care of something." She said to the man on the horse beside her.

The man merely nodded and looked to be paying attention to a stain in his uniform. Nabooru rode off a few yards, hoping she was out of earshot of the man. Then she turned the horse a bit to keep the shadow hidden. Zant jumped halfway out of the shadow.

"What now?" Nabooru snapped. She didn't like dealing with Zant. He was _way_ too creepy.

"I… I made the mistake of losing track of the star… Master Ganondorf wants you to keep an open eye for a white haired ranger with a young face." Said the blue man quietly.

The Gerudo woman glanced back a bit at the ranger she was traveling with and then back at the Twili. "I have a young ranger with me. His hair is the furthest thing from white, though." She told him with a shrug.

The half-shadowed Twili also took a glance behind Nabooru. "Why are you taking him with you?"

"Whether Koume and Kotake would like to admit or not, we do have hard labor that needs to be taken care of back at the fortress. Having a man's strength would be very helpful." Said the woman simply.

Zant had heard everything but he still couldn't help but stare at the ranger. Something about that man seemed eerily familiar but he couldn't place it. Even the way the man was picking his nose and flicking off whatever he had picked seemed strangely familiar. He was still pretty sure he had never met the man, though, so he disregarded it. He gave Nabooru a cordial nod and then went back into the shadows, back to the castle.

Nabooru shuddered at the sight of Zant just disappearing into the darkness and wandering off unseen. She urged the horse back towards the ranger.

"Sorry about that." She said.

The disguised star shrugged and they continued up the woman gestured a stop and dismounted. She stomped around the floor and smirked as the floor made a different sound. "Help me with this."

Vega dismounted and then grabbed the ground where Nabooru was grabbing. They pushed it and the ground shifted back, revealing a hidden chamber into the ground.

"We can stay here for the day." Nabooru said. "It's just big enough for the horses so once we get the torches lit we can blindfold them and lead them in."

She walked down the slope of the ground and then pulled on a rope from the bottom, pulling the plank that hid the chamber further back. She gestured for the star to follow and he did – carefully. As they went further down, she took down the torches and lit them each with a flint before replacing them.

"Do you Gerudo have hiding places like this all over Hyrule?" Asked Vega.

"Yes. They're very useful since we can't really be seen here, not to mention it makes spying a lot easier." She answered.

The star forked a blackened eyebrow. "Why show me, then? Surely you don't know if I'm loyal to Hyrule or not?"

The bronzed woman chuckled. "I don't trust you but at the same time I know that you have no loyalty to Hyrule. Rangers aren't the type that belong to any one nation, much like necromancers and mercenaries. Plus, if you were really loyal to Hyrule, I can't imagine you'd be trading it for the desert."

"Don't care much for the desert?"

She shrugged. "Not really. It's my home; I was born and raised there… But it's barren and desolate. I know it's hard for everyone to survive but in the desert… At least people in Hyrule can find the necessities more easily than us." Nabooru explained. After a moment, she remembered Zant. "Oh, not to sound so nosy, but do you know any other rangers your age with white hair?"

The star kept his composure. "Not at all."

It obviously wasn't a good thing she was asking such things, but as long as he kept his hair stained it wouldn't be a problem. Vega wondered if it had anything to do with the evil magical residue on her. He noted that some of it seemed to have come back stronger recently… Probably when she was having that conversation with that blue man. Naturally he wasn't going to be telling her he could sense that _thing_, but whoever it worked for she was working for to… Who was it again? He'd heard Zelda and Link mention it before… Trying not to appear like he was thinking too hard, he eventually came to the conclusion that whoever it was Gerudo and no doubt held Din's Power.

In his mind, he cursed.

That meant that the Power holder was looking for him. Vega didn't understand _why_ he would be needed but it obviously wasn't good…

"Hey stranger," Nabooru said. "Get some sleep. You look tired. I'll take care of the horses."

* * *

Zelda and Link had come upon the strangest sight in their search for Vega. When they had wandered into the graveyard, because Zelda sensed a good mass of magic there, they had encountered two men in sandy cloaks. They were making tea apparently and one of them asked if they would like to stay and join them.

They declined and left.

What kind of people would have a tea party in a graveyard?!

Leaving that disturbing thought behind, the witch tried to trace the star again only to meet with bad news.

"What's wrong?" The collared page asked.

The young witch grimaced and looked to the northwest, still dark in the dawn because the sun was just rising. "He's northwest now. I don't think he's even in town anymore."

The page scowled. "By the time we get to him it might be too late!"

"But how else could we help the king? I'm sure those at the castle have tried everything they can…" Zelda said, sounding a bit depressed.

Growling under his breath, an idea finally came to Link. "I'm going to the castle."

"Huh?" It took a moment for the girl to register it. "Wait, what about me?!"

"Go back to the inn for now; I can't have you seen with me." He said, already starting his way to the castle.

Insulted, she blurted out, "And why not?!"

"Because people will get the wrong idea!" He snapped.

Zelda just froze at the comment and blushed. She supposed she could understand that…

Link, although slightly frustrated from Zelda, managed to calm himself down. Naturally, it wouldn't be a good idea to go into the castle angry, especially when he had been gone a few weeks. Odran would most likely kick the ever loving crap out of him and then send him off to do kitchen duty for the barracks or something like that… if not worse. If he went in in a huff, it wouldn't help the situation any. It wouldn't be too much of a problem, though, because he would be leaving soon after he got the information he needed.

He was let in the castle without any problems, though his gnarly looking collar did gain him a few stairs. It was at that time the page really wished he was wearing a scarf or something like that, even if it was out of season. Some of the other pages came up to him and asked where he was, if he was okay, what was up with the weird collar. For the most part, he ignored them or gave them monosyllabic answers. Link just did his best to rush inside of the castle and avoid Odran for as long as he possibly could. It would be even better if he didn't encounter the captain of the guard at all, actually.

When in the castle, Link tried to be as stealthy as he could. He thought he was doing pretty well for a guy wearing a sword and shield, but apparently he wasn't.

"Hello Link! Nice collar!"

It was Eugen, holder of the Faron province.

Grudgingly, the page mumbled, "Hello, uncle…"

The child-like province holder gave Link a big grin as he looked up at him. The man had to be at least a foot shorter than Link. "I'm glad to see you haven't forgotten family!" He said cheerfully.

"How could I possibly forget, uncle?" _You're so freaking annoying!_

"Well, you never write…" said the small blond, a little dismayed, "I mean, I know I wasn't there when your mother died but she didn't want you leaving Castle Town. She was always adamant about that."

The page sighed and then said, "Listen, uncle, right now isn't really the best time I need to find-"

"Oooh!" Eugen said, excitedly jumping up and down, "What are you looking for, perhaps I can help?"

The collared blond was about to roll his eyes when he realized that his uncle _could_ help him. "Ah, do you know where that wizard is? I forget his name…"

"Quinn? Sure do! I'll take you to him, nephew!" Replied his uncle happily. And then Eugen began to skip happily.

Grimacing at the sight, Link could only think, _I can't believe I'm related to _that_…_ Still, he was surprised to see that he wasn't that far away from the Royal Wizard's study.

The Faron province holder stopped before the door and then knocked, while saying in a sing-song voice, "Quinn, oh Quinn! There's someone here to see you!"

The page heard something from behind the door like someone falling off of a chair, and then a grumbled, "Come in." Sure enough, when they entered, the Royal Wizard was straightening and pulling his chair right-side up. Even though the curtains were all drawn Link could still see the dark shadows under the feminine looking man's eyes. Link had no questions that the wizard was stressed.

"Quinn, this is my nephew, Link. He wanted to see you." Said the child-like figure. "I'll be off now - keep Odran off the nephew's back, you know." And with another big grin, the province holder was off.

"Please," Quinn gestured to the chair in front of the desk as he sat, "Take a seat."

Link sat.

"So, you wanted to see me… Link, was it?"

The page nodded. "I just have a question about the condition of the king."

The redhead's eyes narrowed. "Ask."

"Is the king cursed?"

That answer seemed to take the young wizard by surprise. He looked over Link and then finally said, "I believe so. Why?"

Wondering whether it was really wise to tell this person, the page finally decided the only one he would have to worry about finding out about this was Dragmire. "Because if it is the case, I'm begging you to hold it off for as long is possible. There's a way I can help but I need to find it first…"

The redhead's green eyes gleamed. "Why should I trust you?"

"Because we both know Dragmire's trying to pull something." Link snapped.

Once again, the redhead's eyes narrowed but nodded. In barely a whisper he said, "Be careful… I have no doubts he's watching…"

That was a disturbing thought to Link… That Ganondorf could be watching them at that very moment. Also in a whisper, Link said, "Just try to keep the king as well as possible. I'm tracking a star-being right now."

Quinn's eyes widened. "Did you come from the forest?"

Puzzled, Link answered, "I just came out of it yesterday."

The wizard nodded. "Very well then. Find the star; get back here as soon as possible."

The page nodded back and then stood. He was about to turn and leave when he paused. He pointed to the collar. "Is there any way you can get rid of this?"

The feminine redhead looked at the collar with something that wasn't his eyes and then shook his head. "I think only the one who put that on you can take it back."

Link frowned, but nodded. Then he left.

He gritted his teeth. As long as Quinn attempted to hold the curse off as long as he possibly could, they might stand a chance of getting Vega back in time…

If they could find him.

* * *

... I think I'm going to go have a tea party in a graveyard now. XD


	20. The Lady of Eldin

I hate this weather. It's screwing with my internet nasty. I hate it so much. D: One minute I have the internetz, one second later I don't. It sucks big time. Worst of all, it's going to be a really rainy summer. D: NUUUUUUU.

This is an Anya-centric chapter. We get to see what's really going on her head.

* * *

Anya woke up in the unfamiliar room she knew she would have to get used to. It was a neat, tidy room that held only the necessities. Like the past few times she had woken up in that bed, no one was next to her. Dragmire always woke and left early. She didn't mind. It was something she did occasionally when it was necessary. With Dragmire it wasn't.

Stretching, she slid out of the bed and dressed. She then went to the door and opened it ever so slightly to make sure no one was coming. It wouldn't be a good thing if everyone knew she slept around. Well, they did know already but it wouldn't be a good thing if she messed up and actually showed evidence of it. satisfied that no one was coming, she quietly exited the room and went to the meal hall. It was rather late in the morning, so it wasn't that crowded. Anya did spot a more than usually irritated Odran, so she made sure to steer clear from him.

After a small breakfast, the province holder of Eldin went to Quinn's study. She knocked but no one answered.

_Strange…_ She thought. _He usually gives some sort of answer…_

She opened the door and saw that the still dark study was empty. The woman frowned and then quietly closed the door. Was he in his room? She walked through the halls until she reached his quarters. She could immediately tell he was there and doing _something_. Anya could almost sense some sort energy from behind the door…

She knocked and there was no answer, but she entered anyways.

It didn't take the province holder that long to realize why there was no answer.

Quinn was standing in front his desk, sweating bullets and pouring as much magic as he possibly could into one little piece of metal on the desk. The young wizard did not notice her as she approached the desk at looked from him to the small piece of metal and the desk and back to him.

Anya wasn't the biggest magic-savvy person in the world but she had a tiny but of talent. But only enough to see magic when it was done, not actually cast it. She could see enough to know that Quinn was casting way more magic than was wise. He wasn't that strong a wizard… not like his father… not like Agahnim.

She was about to say something, but as she opened her mouth the magic flow suddenly stopped. Taking a deep breath, the young wizard stepped back and then fainted.

"Quinn!" She squeaked. The province holder scurried quickly to him and the knelt down to check on him. She grimaced. The feminine looking wizard always had a sort of light complexion but now his skin was deathly pasty and the shadows around his eyes were emphasized from it. Even his normally bright scarlet hair was dulled. She grabbed an arm so she could pull him to his bed and then noted that both the palms of his hands looked raw.

_How long were you doing this?_

When she had him in his bed, she put a hand on his forehead and she frowned again.

Fever.

The woman turned quickly to alert a servant but Quinn had to have woken. He had weakly taken hold of one of her arms with a reddened hand.

"Anya…" He mumbled.

The Eldin native gave him a stern but gentle look. "Please let go, Quinn. You cast too much magic, you're very ill; I need to get you a doctor."

The red rimmed eyes of the young wizard, while half-closed, were focused on her. After a moment, the gaze shifted to the desk. "The amulet… Need to get it to the king…" He mumbled. He let go of her and attempted to get up.

She pushed him down. "You are _not_ getting up until a doctor says you're well." She said firmly.

He glared at her, but in his current state it did not have the effect he wanted. Instead, she seemed to get upset. "You are _not_ well! You will _not_ be getting up! You were absolutely idiotic to be using so much magic! You don't have the right capacity to handle so much!" She snapped.

The redhead tried to get up again. "Need to see the king… Need to get the amulet to him…"

"Then I'll do it!" Anya snapped, pushing him back down again. _Such a moron!_

He glanced at her, seeming somewhat puzzled.

"Don't give me that look!" She told him angrily. "I told you that if I was on anyone's side it was yours! That hasn't changed!"

Quinn studied her for a moment and then said, "Take it to the king as soon as possible… Hide it. Dragmire can't find it."

The province holder nodded. "Don't try to move. I'll get a servant to bring a doctor."

And then she got up. She went to the desk and picked up the piece of metal that the young wizard had spent so much of himself on. It was a simple thing. A small circle with the emblem of Hyrule on it: a hawk carrying the Triforce. Anya slipped it into her pocket and looked back at Quinn, who seemed to have fallen asleep quickly enough. She left his room and told the nearest servant of the royal wizard's condition.

Then she started on her way to the king's chambers. Since she didn't exactly arrange to see the king, it was going to be difficult for her to get in. The woman merely hoped that saying she was seeing the king on Quinn's behalf would be good enough to allow her entry. As she made her way to the king's chambers, however, she encountered Eugen.

"Oh hello, Anya! Where are you heading?" The short province holder asked cheerfully.

Smiling politely, but hiding a good deal of irritation, she said, "I'm on my way to see the king, if he's willing to have unexpected visit from me."

Eugen also smiled politely and said, "I don't think he has need of your special services in his condition."

Her eye involuntarily twitched. "If you must know, I'm running an errand for Quinn. He'd fallen ill today and he asked me to see the king on his behalf." She said cordially.

The small blond man nodded, still with big silly grin on his face. "Funny that. My nephew visited him just yesterday. He seemed fine then."

The woman knew that Eugen wasn't implying anything this time. She didn't get how the child-like fellow worked sometimes… Making cleverly hidden snide remarks and then making idle chatter the next. But it was strange what Eugen said… not about Quinn being fine the day before but about his nephew visiting Quinn.

"Now why would your nephew want to speak with a wizard? Isn't he a pageboy?" She asked.

The ever cheery province holder shrugged. "He doesn't really like me so I didn't expect him to tell me anything, even if I had asked, so I didn't ask." They approached a fork in the halls and the small blond said, "Well, I'm going the other way. See you around, Anya!"

_He's so strange…_ She had to wonder what really went on in the mind of that boy-man. Was he really like that or just hiding something behind the façade of an idiot? Anya was pretty sure he was just like that.

The brunette had continued on her way until she reached the guarded doors of the king's chambers. When there, she told the guards that she had come on Quinn's behalf. They didn't seem sure whether to let her in or not, but after having a brief and private conversation with the more senior officer about a certain "arrangement" she could set up, they decided to let her in. They informed the king of his visitor and she was let in.

The king was sitting up in his bed, looking frail and far older than he actually was. Anya had to admit, the sight was saddening. Fumbling her fingers around the amulet in her pocket, she found herself hoping that it would help the king somehow.

"Anya," the king said with a smile, a genuine smile that she wasn't used to getting, "It's good to see you. The last time I saw you was at least ten years ago… You've definitely grown up."

She smiled back. "Yes, I have."

The king lost his smile, but the expression was still light, if not tired. "The guard said you were here to see me on Quinn's behalf? Is he alright?"

The woman sat at the chair near the king's bedside and said somewhat tiredly, "He's fine. He just worked himself a little too hard."

"He does that." The king said with a nod. "He hopes to live up to his father's name one day so he will work himself much harder than he needs to." After he had finished speaking, the king coughed… and coughed… and he kept coughing. A maid came in quickly and did something to subside to the king's coughing; Anya couldn't identify it exactly but it was probably something a doctor had told her to do in case of a coughing fit. The king thanked that maid and then sent her back off to whatever she was doing.

"Does that happen often?" She asked the king.

Smiling sadly, the king nodded. "Yes… and that was only a light fit." With a sigh, the king looked at her and said, "Don't do anything in this life you would regret, Anya. The goddesses have only given us one life and we must use it wisely…" The way he spoke… there was a heavy burden on his shoulders…

Perhaps it was inappropriate for someone of her status, but she hugged the king. "Highness, you speak like a man who has lost much. For that I'm sorry and I do hope you'll find peace in the end." As she said it, she slipped the amulet that she had in her hand under the king's pillow. She hoped that was a good hiding place for it. She then let go and said, "I'm sorry for the hug, but you looked like you need it."

The king smiled. "You're a nice girl, Anya. Quinn is lucky to have you."

She found herself blushing. "It is not like that, Highness…"

"Not now, at least. One day he'll see it." Said the king. The way he said it with that smile, it was as if he knew it was true.

_I doubt he will, Highness… But it's a nice thought._

"Hm, it's strange." Said the king after a moment.

"What is?"

"I feel better. Not completely, but better than I have in weeks." He said, seeming slightly surprised. "Your embrace must be magical, Anya."

She could do nothing but smile at that.

She had spent a little more time just talking with the king, who treated her more like a human being than most people she associated with did. It helped that the king didn't know she had slept with half the Court, but it was nice nonetheless. Of course, Anya did eventually have to leave.

There were no plans for the rest of the day, but she knew she would check on Quinn later. The king was right in what he had said. Quinn was lucky to have her, if not he'd probably be half-dead on the floor of his room. She felt a smile of satisfaction come upon her face, but she didn't really feel it. She was actually kind of angry at herself for thinking such a bitter thought… Something she wasn't unused to doing. She humorlessly chuckled.

Ever since she was a small child she had always tried to prove that a woman could be just as powerful as a man. For a long time she thought of running off to join the Gerudo, but that never happened of course. But she had been seriously considering it one day when she met Quinn, three years younger than her and the son of the Royal Wizard Agahnim. He'd spoken so eloquently for a boy his age and showed immense loyalty to the king even then. She vowed she would be queen one day, just so she could have his loyalty. She'd been working her way up for that; to have one boy's loyalty.

_Silly thought._

Obviously, now it was for more than that. Now it was mostly to prove that she could be something, that she was worth something. She'd worked her way up to being a province-holder; she was closer than ever now. All she had to do was make sure Dragmire's plans didn't succeed. That was all she had to do. And working with Quinn would ensure that the Gerudo's plans didn't succeed.

_So how come the thought of being Queen doesn't look as good as it used to?_ How come the thought of having that one boy's loyalty seemed much more to her again?_ Well, there is no use trying to deny it._

* * *

She's being more sweet than crafty. XD But her craftiness will be much more evident in future chapters.


	21. The Old Temple

Early chapter. Yay! I'M GONNA GO BACK TO PLAYING THE POKEMANS NAO.

* * *

They had remained at the inn for a while longer, problematic as it was since Vega had stolen a red rupee from Link's wallet. Link couldn't go back to the castle now, after all. He'd managed to escape Odran one time; a second time would be too chancy.

To see if they could find Vega quickly, Link would often check on Zelda in her room. She was mostly in a state of meditation, claiming that would help her find Vega faster. It didn't seem to be working up until that moment.

He was confused. What Zelda had just said seemed highly unlikely.

"Why would be heading northwest?" Link asked, utterly and completely confused. It had been a few days since he and Zelda had lost track of Vega. The witch's sense of the star was still weak so she couldn't hone in on him until that moment. But northwest made no sense at all. "There's nothing there but sand and women thieves. I'm pretty sure even _he_ couldn't live off sand. Not to mention the days are unbearably hot."

Zelda rolled her eyes. "Think carefully about it; it would be the last place we would look. But it all makes sense. He doesn't like to travel during the day – he's nocturnal, one usually travels the desert at night to avoid heatstroke. Also, _normal_ people couldn't last in the desert for long - even the Gerudo have a hard time living there - but he's not a normal person, he's a star being! By all intents and purposes, he's practically immortal! He can probably go much longer without food and water than we ever could. Simply put, he's using everything that makes us human against us and taking advantage of the fact that he's not human." She explained.

The page suddenly felt very stupid. When one put it that way, then it did make sense… But a grimmer thought passed his mind then. "What if he didn't go that way willingly?"

The young witch forked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Hyrule, whether anyone likes to admit it or not, is in the middle of a cold war with the Gerudo. They haven't been doing anything for years now… The officers in the Guard are worrying about that and they've been proposing stricter training regimens… None of them have been approved but I know Odran – he's the Captain of the Guard – has been going through with them anyways… But I'm pretty sure the Gerudo aren't just doing nothing. They have to have spies all around… What if one them took Vega?"

"Why would anyone want to take _him_?" Asked the witch incredulously.

The collared page gave her a flat look. "He doesn't exactly blend in. There aren't that many men around with long silver-white hair – and even a hood can't hide that for long. I'm pretty sure we aren't the only ones that know what a star looks like either."

"Oh…" She hadn't thought about it that way. She'd been so focused on actually really knowing his personality that she had completely forgotten he was valuable as a wish-granting tool and that a greedy enough person could overlook all those flaws. "Well, I don't sense him in any distress."

"If your bond with him is so significantly weakened, can you tell what he feels?" Asked Link skeptically.

"Well if I can sense the direction he's going in I'm pretty sure I still have some idea of his feelings!" Zelda snarled. Which was true enough. Through all the craziness of the past three days she hadn't felt much from him except overwhelming satisfaction and concern. Lately there was more concern, but she was sure it was his emotion and not hers, though she did share in it. An ever growing feeling of concern didn't come across as a good thing.

The page held up his hands in surrender. "I can only take your word for it. Forgive me if I'm skeptical of a wo-" He stopped, knowing if he finished it would probably end with him on four legs and not two.

"Then don't be skeptical." She said firmly. And then more gently. "_Trust me_."

"Again, forgive me if I'm skeptical." He said while gesturing to the collar on his neck. He had more than enough reasons _not_ to trust her.

With a tired sigh, Zelda felt she might as well tell him. "I can undo the curse, you know. The only reason I'm not undoing it now is because I don't trust you enough to help me if I let you go now."

"Then why should I trust you now if you don't trust me now?" Asked Link.

It was a good point.

With a sigh, she said, "What else have we to go on aside from my word?"

Another good point.

Growling under his breath, the page said, "Fine. But we should be prepare for the journey into the desert before taking off."

With a brightened smile, the witch said, "Alright. I'm sure you could take care of that!"

He forked an eyebrow. "You want me to gather all the supplies for two people by myself?"

Laying down on her bed and closing her eyes she said, "I've been trying to find Vega for three days. I may have just been sitting around but trying to track a soul bond is much more difficult than you'd think… And every step he takes further away from me is a step he weakens both of us. I need the rest. Now don't argue and go get the supplies, unless you want to do it as a wolf."

"Tch," was all Link dared mumble. His face, had she been paying attention, would have said a lot more about what he really wanted to say to her, though. Had she said it in a way that didn't make it sound like he was a pack mule, he would've done it by himself.

As he left the inn, he headed for the market place, hoping that no one he knew would be there. Well, from the castle at least. He needed the vendors he knew to be there.

The market place was crowded, as usual, when he arrived. He reviewed the things they would need for a trip to the desert. Cloaks for sure, preferably light ones. Extra canteens, or bigger ones at least; lots of travel food, a new sewing kit would be useful too. Luckily, he knew one vendor that could handle all of that. The vendor's place was always crowded but he had the best goods cheap, so he was worth the fight.

The page wiggled his way through the crowd in front of the vendor's tent. He was about halfway through the crowd when he felt something brush against his arm… like a hand pulling him away. The collared page looked back to snarl at whoever was trying to hinder his progress only to stare unblinkingly for a second. When he finally did blink, the person was gone and he had been pushed to the street again. But that didn't bother him so much anymore. He looked furtively around for the man that had pulled him out of the mess.

It couldn't be him… it just couldn't but… he was absolutely sure of it. It was him, unchanged from the day he last saw him.

"This way." Link heard.

He turned on his heel. The voice sounded as if it was right next to him, but when he looked he saw the man walking into an alleyway.

_Father!_

Link ran after him. He turned into the alley, empty and surprisingly clean. There was no one there.

"Father!" He called out. No answer.

The wind blew behind him, as if pushing him down the alley. He didn't need the wind's encouragement. He continued to run down the alley.

His father was dead… But if he was dead how come he had just seen him?

He had come to a fork in the alley, leading into more back roads. He was unsure which way to go until he saw a man with dirty-blond hair turn in the alley to the left. That was his father, he was sure of it… but where was he leading him? And for what purpose? He went into the alley and then turned at the fork where he had seen his father go. He ran down the narrow, deserted road until he froze and stared at what lay at the end of the alley.

It was large stone-structure, like a temple. And it was old. Very old. Probably built a long time before and forgotten as Castle Town kept expanding. Now that he really thought of it, he had heard stories of an old temple in the back roads of town. It went back into the time of his grandfather's grandfather… and it was unused. It was always locked so no one knew what lay inside of it. Well, a library probably knew but he wasn't about to waste his time going to a library when he was right there.

_But how do I get in? Why lead me somewhere I can't get into, Father?_ He thought as he neared the great temple. The doors didn't look as old the rest of the temple. The temple looked old and decrepit. The doors looked brand new, ready to stand up against a siege of a thousand, maybe more, soldiers. There was no way he could get inside…

But someone from the inside had opened the doors. Slowly and quietly, but the doors opened. He caught sight of his father's silhouette behind the doors. He ran in.

"Father!"

The only response was his echo bouncing off the walls of the temple. Even as he looked around, there was no sign that his father had been there. There were just walls, walls that had once been white but were now graying with the passage of time. In the center of the foyer, if that was what it was, was a low dais. Inside the dais it looked as if there had once been something painted onto it, but time had taken that as well. He walked forward over the dais and to the stand a few yards in front of it. Inside of the stand were three jewels. One blue, one green, one red. They looked as if they had been fused into the stone. Above the jewels was an obsidian plate. There was an inscription there but it was unreadable. It wasn't worn away or anything like that… it was just in a really old Hylian script. It had to have been centuries old…

_Why lead me here?_

Something glinted yet deeper in the temple. He looked above the stand he had been studying and saw that in the chamber beyond the stand was another dais… with something on it. He went around the stand and up the slopes into the next chamber. Glass windows, _real_ glass windows, were high up on the walls. The window in the wall directly in front of him was pouring sunlight onto the dais, which was higher than the first in the foyer. In the dais was a pedestal. And in that pedestal was a sword.

Link looked around the chamber, to see if there was anything else. It was empty. Reluctantly, he went up the steps of the dais and towards the sword. He extended a hand to it, but hesitated at the last moment and pulled it back. He looked over it. At the front of the pedestal was a scabbard of blue and gold, intricately carved and designed. It had to have taken years. The hilt was a solid purple-blue with a small etching of the Triforce (something he only knew as being a part of the emblem of Hyrule) on it. Dust had gathered on the hilt but not on the actual blade, he noticed. It was strange. He wasn't sure if it was a trick of the light or not but the blade almost seemed to be glowing. And something about the sword just… it just seemed like it demanded respect.

"Take it."

He looked back.

His father was there… not quite. He was translucent. A ghost? His father smiled at him. "Go on, take it. It was meant for you, Link."

All he could was just stare, though. Stare at the man he had strived so hard to be exactly like one day. They looked the same, save that Link's hair was lighter, like his mother's, and that he had no facial hair - not that he wasn't trying.

His father's ghost chuckled. "Take the sword, Link."

He finally snapped back into reality and then turned back to the sword. He extended his hand out to it. He still hesitated, but this time his hand firmly gripped the hilt. He pulled it out and he was surpised at how easy it was. The sword had just slipped out; it never even made a sound. And it was so light in his hand… He'd always heard that one knew if a sword was right for them when it felt right. And it really _felt_ right.

The page swung it once, twice. He smiled, feeling an overwhelming sense of pride come over him. This sword was perfect… and it had this sort of power to it he couldn't describe. And it was his… No, that wasn't right. It had chosen him.

That thought made him frown. This sword had chosen him… but for what?

"Father-" he turned and saw that he was alone again. His father had left… This time he knew he wasn't even in the same realm.

A heavy feeling came upon his heart. His father was truly dead…

He gripped the sword in his left hand again and then turned on his heel and picked up the scabbard. His father had led him to this sword, though. That was the last thing his father saw fit to do before he went into the afterlife. And for whatever reason his father had led him to the sword and the sword had chosen him… He would make sure that whatever came with the sword would be done.

"I'm proud of you, Link."

* * *

Hurr, that's right. No big epic mission to get the Master Sword this time! Mwhahaha!


	22. To the Desert

For those interested, up on my DA page I have some sketches of Vega up, both silvertop and blacktop versions. I also have some doodles of Quinn and Anya in my gallery if you're all interested (they're under the Zelda section).

So yeah, I started rereading this for any mistakes I may have made and quickly got bored. You'll have to put up with my silly mistakes (though no one's complained, but whatev).

Kind of boring, and kind of short. So you'll have to put up with that too. Sorry. D:

* * *

"Oh wow… what a neat sword…" Zelda muttered. Link had thrown her stuff on the floor by her bed but she paid no attention to it. Her interest went entirely to the new sword hanging off Link's shoulder. Her face quickly went from interested to stern. "Why did you need to buy a new sword? Weren't you complaining about rupees?"

"I didn't buy it, I found it." Link said matter-of-factly.

"So you stole it?"

"I did not!" He snapped, not sure whether he should tell her the story or not. Now that he thought of it, he wasn't even sure he believed it. He then decided he might as well tell her part of the truth, but would leave out all parts of ghosts and the feeling that the sword wanted him to so something – and he still didn't know what it wanted. "It was in an old temple, sitting there by itself. I just liberated it."

The witch looked at him skeptically but seemed to accept the story, or just not ask any more questions about its origins. She glanced back at the sword and asked a bit hopefully, "Can I see it?"

"No!" Link said defensively. He didn't want anyone else but him to even touch the sword. "Besides, what would a woman know about swords?"

Zelda's nerves were tickled by the comment but she must've been getting used to his sexism; turning him into a wolf didn't cross her mind… well, maybe it did but she didn't act on it. "For your information, I know plenty about swords. A witch can't always rely on magic you know."

"I would believe that if I actually saw you carrying one." Said the page flatly.

"Then give me your old sword." She said just as flatly.

"No!"

"Why not?" Asked the witch. "It's not as if you're going to use it now that you have that new – and probably better - one there."

He had to admit, she had a good point. But girls didn't use swords… well aside from the Gerudo but they were weird girls, so they didn't count. Still, what if Zelda couldn't rely on her magic to get her out? That seemed highly unlikely. In fact, thinking on at the moment, he didn't understand why at the forest Zelda didn't just blast the Koroks away when they had taken her away. She was probably too frightened to think then, though… What if she had gotten like that again. The little voice in the back of his head was screaming not to even consider letting a woman hold a man's blade but…

Scowling, he finally said, "Fine. But you take care of it! When we get back it goes back to the castle armory where it belongs!"

The girl squeaked in delight and jumped off her bed. She went quickly out her door and then came back in quickly. Giving Link a quick peck on the cheek she said, "Thank you!" and resumed to rushing out her room and into Link's to retrieve her new sword.

Link ended up blushing and he frustratingly rubbed his cheek, as if to try and remove her germs. It wasn't like it was the first time a girl had kissed him, but for some reason her kiss felt strange… Undesirable, really. He knew that kiss, meaningless as it was, was probably poisonous. The girl looked innocent enough, but the page knew better. Behind the innocence was a girl with devastating power and anger issues…

But even if it was undesirable, he'd be lying if he said he didn't like it.

After a moment, Zelda came back into the room, adjusting the belt so that the sword was hanging off of her waste rather than Link's preferred style of carrying it over his shoulder. As if to complete the already strange ensemble, Zelda reached into her bag and pulled out and unfolded her hat, placing it firmly on her head. The page couldn't help but frown at the sight. A girl who was undoubtedly a witch, wearing a sword, with an oversized bag that held an oversized spellbook.

It was truly the weirdest thing he had ever seen.

It also made him really happy that he had gotten those cloaks for travel through the desert. Perhaps he'd ask her to wear it on the way put of town.

"So?" Zelda asked perkily, "When should we leave?"

Link looked out the window, seeing that the day's events had taken longer than he thought. Late afternoon was approaching… but if they were going to be heading into the desert. "Now would be as good a time as ever."

The young witch frowned as she followed the page's gaze. "But the sun will set in a few hours…"

"And if we're going to the desert, we'd best learn to travel at night."

Frowning, the girl merely nodded. She saw the logic in that and it would make it easier to find Vega too. That didn't mean she had to like it. Grumbling, she took the cloak that Link had thrown onto her bed put it on; then she pulled her hat down tighter over her head. She didn't want it falling off, not after all the time she had gone without wearing it.

Link let out a sigh at that display and then pulled on his cloak. He walked back to his room, grabbed his stuff and waited for Zelda. They then proceeded to leave the inn and make their way out of Castle Town. Neither looked back, that was until they reached the northern gate of the town. That was when the page looked back and frowned.

He looked over at the castle. A sudden urging of wishing everything was normal came over him… But he turned back towards the gate and confidently marched out.

"Why did you stop? Is something wrong?" The witch asked.

"No." he said simply, "Just saying a farewell to the town for a moment." _Actually, I decided normalcy was just overrated.

* * *

_

It was cold. Unbearably cold. But Vega would have to bear it if he wished to get away from the blond beasts that were after him. Horseback did indeed prove to be a faster way to travel. Both the Gerudo and star being were in the desert now. Not deep in it since the ground was still rather flat, but it was desert enough that all that could be seen were rocks and sand.

He shivered as a freezing breeze passed and he pulled up his hood. He missed his long hair; it at least kept his ears partially warm…

"You alright back there, stranger?" Nabooru asked, glancing back at him from her mare.

"F-fine as I'll ever b-be." He chattered. Really, the star couldn't believe that a place that was so hot during the day could be so parky at night. Heaven was relatively chilly but it didn't compare to night at the desert. If it were to rain at that moment – which was highly unlikely being in a desert and all – it wouldn't be rain more than it would be snow. No wonder the desert was such an empty place…

"You sure about that?" Asked the woman cautiously, not that there was much she could do if he wasn't sure about it…

Vega merely nodded, hoping Nabooru noticed the gesture. If he spoke, there might have been more teeth chattering than actual words.

There was silence for a long while after that, save for the sound of the hooves of the horses falling and landing on the sand. The wind picked up, stabbing the star with more cold. The Gerudo didn't seem too phased by the occurrence. The most she ever did was tighten her desert cloak around her if the wind blew too strongly.

Growling something even he couldn't understand, he chanced a glance upwards. His brethren twinkled up above. He was sure none of them knew him, though, not with his hair dark now. Not that they would care. They threw him down on the earth after all, laughing and mocking him as they did so. He repressed a growl but kept his gaze firmly upward, still somehow guiding his horse right behind Nabooru's.

One of the stars twinkled and as it did so, he found his heart skipping beat. The twinkle was one of recognition, that it knew it was him. His heart sank at the memory of one of the few fellow star beings who didn't see him as a burden, as a freak for having only one thing that made him different from all the others… _Estrella… I wish you were here, sister…_

He actually found himself chuckling humorlessly at that thought. A star making a wish… But it didn't work that way. Stars couldn't grant their own wishes… and he would never force that upon his sister. While he had no plans of returning to the sky, he would never force her to come to the earth as the rest of his brothers and sisters did to him. He wasn't that selfish…

Or was he?

As that thought crossed his mind, he remembered Link and Zelda. They weren't being selfish, that was for sure. They wanted to help the kingdom and restore the king to his former good health. Knowing this, he ran away. By refusing to help them in that goal, by refusing to take part in their destiny – which was unavoidable – he was probably in the list of the top five most selfish people on the planet.

But at the same time, helping them would be doing what his brothers and sisters wanted.

"_Prove it, freak. Grant a wish and then you'll be like us."_

The disguised star gritted his teeth. He would much rather stay a freak then become one of them… and if being selfish was the way to do it, then so be it. He would stay selfish until the gods decided to end everything. Never would he be like _them_.

"Rigel."

It took Vega a second to remember that was the name he was using. "W-what?"

"We're going to have to go a little faster." Nabooru said. "The wind's picking up. A sandstorm is coming."

"B-bloody h-hell…" He muttered.

The desert woman glanced back and cocked an eyebrow. "You said you're running from something right?"

"S-so?"

"You might want to think about dropping the accent. You don't hear accents like that unless you're really far up north." Explained the Gerudo.

Vega grunted and nodded. He'd been considering using the strange accent the people of Hyrule had but had been holding off on doing so just because it felt so foreign. There was the secret hope that his accent wasn't that rare, but apparently it was. If he planned to stay, he might as well change his pattern of speech… at least when he was around other people.

"If t-there's a s-sandstorm, w-won't we b-be needing shelter?" The star asked, switching to the Hylian accent as best he could in the freakishly cold weather.

"That's why we're picking up the pace. I think there's a village up ahead. Not Gerudo, but they're friendly with enough." Nabooru explained.

The star hid his expression of disbelief. How on earth could she tell where she was going when there was nothing around but sand? He reluctantly looked back up at the sky. _Another one of a star's strange uses to the earthbound folk, I suppose…_

"You know, it's kind of strange." Said the woman, interrupting Vega's chain of thought.

"W-what's strange?" He chattered.

Her horse paused and then she looked up at the sky this time. "I could have sworn there was star right there," she pointed up at a specific area in the sky.

Vega reigned up next to her and hid a smirk.

"It's not there anymore," she continued. "Some people might say I was my imagination but I'm pretty sure there was a star there. It's gone, now, though."

"It is kind of strange." He said. _Strangely amusing, that is.

* * *

LOOK AT ME! I'M RIPPING OFF MORE NAMES._ Vega's sister, who you can guess is named Estrella... her name is really the most blatant name of all. For those of you not bilingual or of Hispanic origins, it's Spanish for "star", but in the case it's pronounced how silly gringos say it. Can my creativity diminish even more? ... Let's not answer that!


	23. An Heir

Hello everyone! My name is Evan! Reily can't be here so I'm updating for her. Pretend it's Saturday, because Reily told me she wouldn't be updating tomorrow just because the chapter was uploaded today...

To **la generala**, no Vega was thrown down. He and his family don't really get along too well... It sucks to be a star with brown eyes, I suppose. -nervous laugh- I'm kind of glad I'm not a star, then...

**Legend of Zelda 4 Life**, you might want to keep the pink rabbit comment on the down low... -says in a whisper- It'll give Reily ideas...

* * *

Quinn hated being sick. It was his fault for trying to channel way too much magic, so much magic that his body wasn't accustomed to it. It probably left him open for tons sickness to come at him. And one of them, or a few of them, and seized that chance.

The young wizard was doing much better than he had first been when Anya found him, but the doctor ordered him to stay in bed. Normally he wouldn't listen to a doctor, but Anya had been fierce on insisting he listen to him.

No one upset Anya. Upsetting Anya was not a good thing. People regretted upsetting Anya.

So he stayed in bed.

Bored.

He was so used to working that not working was very dull.

He shuddered, feeling cold even though he had three layers of blankets on him. After a short fit of sneezing he sunk into the covers and grumbled, wishing he would get better soon. He had missed two Council meetings already, and he was going to miss another one today. It was true he had Anya to tell him what happened, but he preferred actually being there to listening about it.

There was a knock at the redhead's door.

"Come in." It came out hoarse.

Anya walked in… more like stumbled actually. She cursed as she did so before closing the door, and then shakily walked over to the chair by Quinn's bedside.

The feminine young man's expression became serious. He sat up and asked, "Why are you walking like that?"

The woman put on her best fake smile. "It's nothing."

He gave her a flat look.

She scowled and then said, "The king's been recovering. He's still sick, but he's recovered enough that Dragmire doesn't like it. So… he's been rough in bed. I wish he'd really consider how I have to deal with it later but…"

"Disturbing." Commented Quinn. But he was glad to see that the amulet was working. It wouldn't cure the king, that was asking too much, but it would hold off the curse for a while. "You should avoid visiting so much, though. Dragmire will get suspicious if you keep coming to see me."

"Quinn, why did you make that amulet?" Anya asked, ignoring his last statement.

"The curse needs to be held off for as long as possible." He said simply.

"Yes, but… it's not like you to do something that puts you in such a vulnerable position. And you're more the type that prefers to finish something then just leave it hanging for a while. What are you planning?"

He didn't say anything. The redhead didn't trust her enough to tell her about Link… And even if he did she would scold him for putting such faith in a boy she barely knew. But he couldn't put his finger on it. There was some about that kid that said he could be relied on, that what he spoke was the truth…

"You're not going to tell me…" Anya muttered. She seemed upset. "I trust you, but you're not going to tell me?"

"I don't trust you; you should know that by now. And I can't risk telling you what I know now because you're sleeping with Dragmire." He said simply.

"Fine," said the province holder in a way that said she was most certainly _not_ fine. "I just wanted to see how you were doing was all… and maybe just sit for a few minutes…"

After a moment of silence she grumpily staggered up and walked out, only saying, "See who tells you about the meeting today!"

Quinn just sniffed, feeling another sneeze come on. He held it in and went back to thinking about everything that was going on.

The desert was preparing to make a move with two witches that his necromancer informants said were hideously powerful, the king's health was at a stand-still for a moment, Dragmire didn't expect that and is currently distressed, Eugen's nephew had gone off to find _something_ that he claims can remove the king's curse…

And he was sitting around doing nothing.

He scowled and then quickly sneezed.

He fell back onto his pillow and stared up at the ceiling. He hated doing nothing. Nothing could only be endured for so long, so after a few more moments of it, he sat up and looked around. The young wizard regretted sitting up so fast as lightheadedness quickly overcame him. He massaged his forehead while simultaneously cursing in his mind.

Something glinted to the side.

Puzzled, Quinn looked over at Anya's chair. There was a small mirror on it. With her legs weakened as they were from certain… activities… it must've fallen out of her pocket while she had stumbled onto it.

A sly smile came upon his face.

Screeing was one of the few magics he was good at… Something like that couldn't weaken him anymore than he was now…

He reached out for mirror and caught it, wishing he could shout out in victory. Then he realized that was silly. Had being in such a weakened state reduced him to wanting to cheer for simply reaching out to grab something? Pushing that to the back of his mind, he decided he should check on Link's progress and see where the boy was heading. Link was probably the only one he could scree anyways because magic users were sensitive to screeing magic.

Concentrating on that one presence, on Link, the a gray mist swirled within the mirror. The glass continued fill up with the mist and then it finally cleared, but it didn't show the young wizard's reflection. Instead, it showed a completely different place. It showed a barren wasteland, not quite the desert but certainly getting there. And in the center of this wasteland, making their way through the wasteland, was Link and girl.

He frowned at the girl. Was she traveling with him? And the hat… a witch? With a sword? Very strange sight… Even stranger was that the glass of the mirror was shuddering…

The girl with Link turned, facing straight up at Quinn.

The glass broke and scattered everywhere. A shard of the glass stuck in the redhead's cheek but he was too shocked by what he just saw.

_Aunt?!_

The girl, that witch… she looked exactly like his aunt… But she… years she was… and then she was killed…

The door to the room opened and Anya wobbled in. "Quinn I forgot my mir- goddesses, what happened?! You… you have glass in your cheek!"

Quinn frowned and felt his cheeks. Upon feeling the shard embedded in the flesh of his right cheek, he flinched. "It seems I do… And it hurts quite a bit."

The Eldin province holder was there by his side in an instant, keeping his face still with one hand and gently caressing the skin around the glass with the other. She debated whether she should take it out or perhaps let the doctor handle it… and then she noticed something in the young wizard's hands. Her eyes widened and she took the wooden backing of what was once a mirror.

"This is my mirror! What did you do to my mirror?! That cost me 75 rupees!" It was almost a shriek, but not quite.

"For something so small?" He blurted out.

She turned her attention back to his face and then frowned. "I'll scold you for it later; we need to get a doctor in here…" And then she got up and strutted out of the room, calling a maid to call the doctor.

The doctor hadn't been too far away and as soon as the glass was pulled out of the wizard's cheek, Anya left. She couldn't believe Quinn sometimes. Trying to use magic when he was sick? Sure, the doctor said since the shard was still rather small there wouldn't be any scars or such, but he could've gotten seriously hurt…

Not to mention he also broke her expensive mirror.

The nerve of men – it was unbelievable sometimes.

The woman sighed. There was just no helping them…

"Lost in thought, Anya?" She jumped slightly at Dragmire's voice. The man could appear out of nowhere sometimes… it was extremely unnerving.

"You could say that." She said, putting on her infamous fake smile.

He returned her fake smile. "Try not to be at today's meeting. I will make my move today. I trust you'll know your place when I do make my move." He said.

"But of course."

Giving her a satisfactory nod, he walked on ahead.

The province holder wished she could've punched him. _Not even an apology for making my legs so wobbly. Jerk! Forget the nerve of men! It's the nerve of Dragmire that really pisses me off!_

Looking at her face as she entered the council room, however, one would never guess she was thinking that. Her face remained as calm, pleasant and serene as ever. As courtesy demanded, she greeted everyone present politely and then waited at her seat. She had a short conversation with Reku, the only other female in the room, before all were present in the council room.

"And so we begin another meeting to discuss the succession of the king." Ganondorf began.

"But what of Quinn? Is he not supposed to be present? This is the third meeting he is missing." Carolus asked.

The dark man smiled and then gestured to the Eldin province holder. "Anya, you see him quite frequently so you know his condition better than I do. Would you care to inform the others?"

She nodded. "Of course Lord Dragmire." Directing her attention to her fellow province holders and the two representatives, she said, "I fear Quinn has been under quite a bit of stress lately, so much so he's overexerted himself. Right now he's sick with fever and is unable to attend." She mentioned nothing of the incident with the mirror.

"Is it the same illness that hinders the king?" Asked Jerrick tensely.

"I doubt it," said Anya, "I am his childhood friend so I know him well. He's simply overworked himself."

"Speaking of the king," Carolus spoke again, "I've heard that his condition has improved. Is this true?"

Anya noted the twinge of annoyance on Dragmire that everyone else didn't seem to notice.

"Yes, it is." Responded the Gerudo cheerily. "The doctors say that his condition has significantly improved, though he is still far from being healthy. Nonetheless, the matter of succession should still be considered since the king has no heirs or direct relatives."

_Hmph. He manages to put on such a nice face now but I have a feeling tonight might be unpleasant._ Anya thought bitterly.

Ganondorf continued, "We have been meeting for weeks now and have yet to reach a conclusion. I am sure we have reviewed every aspect of each candidate here. There must be an heir." As he spoke, his eyes ever so lightly lingered on Anya.

He made his move.

"Dear gentlemen and observers," she began, speaking in a manner that projected care, "I really don't see why we have spent so much time. Perhaps I should've spoken earlier, but I think the perfect heir is the one man here we haven't really discussed. Lord Dragmire, I nominate you to be heir to throne of Hyrule."

* * *

There was a knock on Quinn's door and Anya entered.

"I thought you said you weren't going to tell me what happened?" He asked her.

The province holder blushed at she sat down on the chair by his bedside. "Never mind that, Dragmire made his move at today's meeting." She said.

The redhead became alert. "And…?"

"It wasn't a move that was obvious. The only reason I know is because he informed me he would do so just before the meeting began. It was subtle…"

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" He asked.

She gave him a sour look. "I don't see why I should given that you don't trust me _and _you broke my mirror… but to put it simply, I had to nominate him to be heir."

The feminine wizard's eyes narrowed. "The whole point of this is to prevent him from being king." He reminded her bitterly.

The woman waved a hand in dismissal. "I know, but like I said before, he's not telling me anything of his plans. Consider this of way of me gaining his trust so he _will_ tell me his plans in the future." She said. "Anyways, just about everyone, including the Zora and Goron representatives, agreed with my proposal."

Quinn scowled. "Him trusting you is meaningless if he's already named heir…"

"I said 'just about everyone', not 'everyone'. The only way he can be named heir is if there's a unanimous decision. There wasn't." Anya said.

The bedridden redhead forked an eyebrow. "Who voted against it?"

"Eugen."

"Eugen? Why would he disagree?" The wizard mused, "He's complicated to understand and no one can understand which side he's on but… I'm sure even acknowledges that Dragmire is suitable for the position."

"And maybe he's caught on to something, much like you did." She commented. "He was very cheerful going against it too. 'I think we can find someone better among us' is what he said exactly with his ever so idiotic smile. He certainly won't be on Dragmire's good side."

"He's never one anyone's good side." Remarked the wizard.

After a moment of pensive silence, Anya finally spoke. "What did you do with my mirror earlier? You shouldn't be doing magic in your condition."

"I was screeing; it's simple for me." Said the redhead somewhat defensively.

The woman gave him a flat look but said nothing.

Another silence, and then Quinn spoke. "Anya, did you ever meet my aunt?"

Forking an eyebrow, the brunette said, "You had an aunt?"

"I met you when you were seven, right? You never met her, then…" the wizard seemed to be speaking more to himself than to her.

"Why the sudden mention of your aunt?" She asked. Wherever he was going with this, she wasn't following.

"When I was screeing earlier… I saw a girl that looked just like her… And the girl had to be at least fifteen or sixteen…"

"I had no idea you were into younger women, Quinn." Commented Anya with a sly smile.

He glared at her but continued, "My aunt was exiled from Hyrule sixteen years ago. She died shortly afterwards."

Puzzled, Anya asked, "I have no idea what you're trying to tell me, Quinn."

The redhead looked straight ahead at the wall, biting his thumbnail. "Earlier you wanted me to trust you, right? I'm about to tell you something that requires secrecy… You can tell _no one_, Anya. Not a single soul."

She nodded, her expression serious.

"There might be an heir to the throne... Illegitimate, but an heir…"

* * *

Wow, this is really the first time I've handled a computer. Normally, they explo-


	24. The Witches of the Gerudo

It seems it has been firmly established that Evan should no longer be in charge of updating in case of Reily's absence. Allow me to introduce myself. I am called Dietrich and I will be updating on Reily's behalf this evening. She has given me the message that she may or may not be updating Saturday because this update is so near the weekend. I know - annoying isn't she?

**Legend of Zelda 4 Life**, women are confusing. I won't even pretend to understand them. I am not sure how Quinn would feel about being hugged, though... Also, I insist that you not give Reily any more ideas. She's a dangerous individual who doesn't need anymore corrupt thoughts in her twisted, evil mind.

* * *

Zelda shuddered. Sitting on her bare patch of dirt and sand, she looked up to the sky. She still couldn't get over the feeling that they had been watched earlier that day. She didn't sense any ill intent from it but… she just didn't like it. In a strange burst of kindness, Link even searched the general area for any signs of someone. She knew it wouldn't produce any results since she felt as if whoever had been watching them was above them, but it did make her feel a little better.

The witch wiped the heat from her brow and took a small sip of water. They weren't completely in the desert but it was already proving to be unbearably hot. They didn't move around too much during the day since they were trying to get used to moving around more at night, but old habits died hard.

_I hope Link comes back soon._ He'd been away for a bit and she found herself worrying if heatstroke had caught him. She sighed in relief as she saw Link approaching.

"Nothing around except for a few sand rats." Said the page as he neared, sounding a little tired. "It's really hot… We really need to travel only at night now if the heat is going to be this bad."

She nodded in agreement and flinched a bit. Since the day before, she'd been in a sort of constant pain. It wasn't a terrible pain but sometimes it hurt more than others. Somehow, the young witch had a feeling that a certain star may have a sunburn wherever he was at the moment.

"You're sure somebody was watching us?" Link asked as he sat down, sounding somewhat skeptical.

"I'm sure," Zelda responded somewhat irritably, "But it wasn't for long, and I don't think whoever was doing it had anything bad in mind. It seemed more curiosity."

The page shrugged. Then he wiggled and tried to loosen the thick collar around his neck. "I know you're not going to take it off but can you loosen this thing? It's much warmer than you'd think." He complained.

The witch smiled tiredly and said, "I can try."

She scooted over to him, but a hand on the collar and closed her eyes. He could feel something in the collar on his neck twisting and wriggling. It was rather uncomfortable so he tried to find something to get his attention off of it.

"Don't move." Zelda said firmly.

"Sorry…" he muttered. He supposed he could look at her to get his attention off the weird feeling of the magic in the collar.

She had a nice complexion… it was light, though because of her lightness, her cheeks were slightly reddened from the heat. She had long eyelashes, which he noted were the same blond as her hair. What color were her eyes? Blue, right? Yes, they were blue, he was sure. Her nose was cute, not sharp nor too round, and her lips were a light shade of pink. Perhaps it was this careful examination of her face that made him realize something he'd never noticed before: she was pretty. Very pretty.

Then Zelda opened her eyes, scooted back to where she was and brightened. He quickly averted his gaze somewhere else, knowing he was blushing.

"I think it should be a bit looser now, but don't think you're out of my curse." She said.

"Yeah…" he mumbled. The collar was indeed looser, thinner it seemed… But somehow, he didn't feel any cooler with all the blood rushing to his face.

"Are you okay? You don't look so good; your face is all red…" She asked.

"No, I'm fine; just tired." He said, trying not to make it come out too rushed. _Remember, Link, she is a witch who's practically made you her slave! She can turn you into a wolf at will!_ He told himself. Upon reminding himself of that, his anxiousness left. As long as he remembered that, he was fine. _No, I'm not…_

"We should probably wait until it gets darker before we keep moving so you can sleep while we wait." Zelda said. Upon seeing the doubt on his expression she went on to say, "You don't need to worry about being the protector. I can keep watch too, you know."

Link grumbled but lay down and turned away from her. He was kind of tired, he could admit that, but he didn't want to sleep. He was still too alarmed by that chain of thought he had previously to go to sleep. But why was it causing such a panic in him. He had looked at plenty of pretty girls before her and never had this reaction.

_But she's a witch._ He reminded himself yet again, _For all you know this could be a desired outcome. She's probably cast some sort of weird spell on me that… that's making me think really weird thoughts… yes, this is all some sort of sick joke to her… All I have to do is think of her as I normally do. A dangerous woman that has yet to find her place in this world… There is nothing else there, we are just working towards the same goal at the moment…

* * *

_

"We're nearly there." Nabooru told Vega. She glanced back at him and then faced forward again really quickly, stifling a laugh.

"Shut up!" Snapped the disguised star. He was in pain. Constant pain. He had sunburn. They traveled at night, but they rested during the day. But that meant they were still out in the sun. So, the star's pale, pale skin managed to turn into a bright cherry red the moment he put his hood down during the day. That was a mistake he made after the sandstorm had subsided in that desert village. Now, he was red in the face at all times and in pain. To top it all off, it was still freezing at night.

"I didn't say anything." Said the Gerudo. She didn't sound at all convincing, though. As she said it, she seemed to be trying harder and harder not to laugh.

Grumbling profanities under his breath, Vega merely looked ahead of them. Nabooru hadn't lied, they were nearly there. A normal person would only have seen points of light upon wood in the darkness. But he was a star; his vision was better suited for the night. He could see ahead of them perfectly.

There was a large wooden wall with watch towers on the end sides. Torches were lit above the wall and in the watch towers, as well on the outer walls. He could see Gerudo along the outside of the wall and in the watchtowers, no doubt watching for unwelcome visitors. He couldn't see through walls, however, so what lay behind it was still a mystery.

As they neared, Nabooru said she would go ahead for a moment. So he waited.

The Gerudo lead her horse up close to the gates. The guards lifted their spears but upon seeing it was their second-in-command they lowered them and stood at attention.

"General Nabooru," One of the guards started, "We expected you to come two days ago… Did you have any trouble?" The guard's voice had a hint of worry in it.

"There was a sandstorm on the way, but everything's fine. I did bring someone with me, though." Nabooru said.

Both guards frowned and then one of them asked, "You brought someone?"

"A man," said the higher ranking Gerudo. She held up a hand to the guards who were about to speak in protest. "I don't want anyone attacking him. You were all complaining about _it _almost succeeding in tricking any person of any sex… well, here's something to help manage _it_. I'm pretty sure this guy has a will of iron. There's no way _it_ can coerce him to do anything. This man's stubborn as a mule and really doesn't seem to want to go back to wherever he's from. He's perfect for the job."

The guards looked uneasily at each other and then back at their superior. "You're sure about this, General?"

This time, Nabooru gave them a hard look. "That's not for you to decide is it?"

The guards flinched and then nodded. They tapped the tips of their spears against the wood in a pattern and the gates began to open.

"Rigel, come on!" Nabooru called.

Hearing that, Vega got his horse to go in a quick trot. He crinkled his nose as he neared, noticing the two guards eyeing him warily… and smiling from amusement. _Fucking sunburn…_

He looked on ahead and saw that the fortress of the Gerudo was pretty much a series of buildings built up against a giant stone. Now that he thought of it, he remembered seeing something called "the Stone Ocean" in Link's map. He remembered it was somewhere in the desert, so the Gerudo fortress was likely situated where the Stone Ocean began. He looked away from the actual fortress and at the actual grounds, noting a fenced off area that seemed to lead back into the desert.

"Rigel," Nabooru said, gesturing for him to ride up next to her. He did so and she went on to say, "Listen, I said I'd take you with me here and all but the fact is we Gerudo still don't like men. I'm pretty sure I can manage to keep you here without any harm but… it's really not up to me to decide."

"Fancy that." The star did not hide his sarcasm. "If I'm going to be locked up, tell me so I can escape promptly."

"Well, it won't be for long." Said the Gerudo general. "I'm going to talk to my superiors and with any luck we can integrate you into the system somehow."

Vega really, really, really did not like the idea of being put in a prison cell. At all. Perhaps Nabooru could sense it because she frowned.

"Listen, it won't be for long. Koume and Kotake will just probably drop in on you and make a judgment." She said.

He had no idea who these Koume and Kotake ladies were but he was already trying to figure out how he could get out of this place. He really should've thought ahead as to what he would do when he made it into the desert… He couldn't go back because he didn't know the way, nor did he know how to use his brethren as guiding posts. And even if he did manage there was still Link and Zelda, who were no doubt looking for him this very instant.

Scowling, he figured integration into this convoluted system was the lesser of the evils before him.

"Take me to my cell…" he grumbled.

Smiling pityingly, Nabooru led him to the dungeons. It was a strange sight to the other Gerudo. None of them were quite used to seeing a man willingly enter the dungeons. But Vega put up no fight. As long as the situation was only temporary, he supposed he could remain civil.

They dismounted and he continued to follow the Gerudo general into a shabby looking building. The inside was dark and smelly and he could make out iron bars on the walls. As he kept following the woman, he glanced in the cells occasionally. Most of the prisoners were men, cringing in the corners of their cells not making any noises besides whimpers. The older prisoners could be easily distinguished from the newer ones. The older ones were skinny and just watched with half dead eyes as Nabooru and Vega passed. The newer ones were clinging to the bars screaming and howling threats at the Gerudo and insulting the star for being so willing to be a prisoner.

The first empty cell they arrived was the one Nabooru opened up. She gave him an apologetic look. Vega merely scoffed and entered.

"Do try to make it quick." He told her as the door closed before him.

"As quick as I can manage." She assured before going back the way they had come.

As soon as Nabooru had left, the inhabitant of the cell next to him banged on the cell bars. "Hey, hey, hey! Wot's wit you an the Gerudo bitch?"

He smirked, despite knowing that the one who had addressed him couldn't see it. "Wouldn't you like to know, bender." He let his accent out. It wasn't like any of these idiots were going to live to tell anybody anyways.

He ignored any other comments and retreated into the cell. Against his better judgment, he sat down leaning against the wall. The guised star really did not want to know what manner of creatures infested this place, nor did he want to know why the floor was sticky.

While sitting, he let his senses wander. Within seconds he stopped and panicked. All of a sudden, he realized he was in a very bad position. There were two great masses of magic here… and they felt just like the ugly, fear inducing magic from Castle Town. The only difference was that these were to a lesser degree. It was still enough to make him want leave as fast as possible.

He didn't understand… how come he didn't sense this before? Such large masses of magic weren't exactly easy to hide so why couldn't he sense it earlier?

_Ducky…_ He thought bitterly. They still shared a soul. The bond was weaker now but the effects still remained. Drifting so far from her weakened his senses…

Panic rose in him again. If his senses were weakened, what else was weakened? Vega desperately wanted to try something, but he had the feeling if he tried the results would not only be sub-par, but also enough to attract the attention of the magic masses in the place. He shuddered, thinking they might have already sensed him. If they could sense him, and if they were as powerful as he thought, staining his hair might not have been enough…

_Crap, crap, crap, crap…_ he continued that line of thought. Then he tried to calm himself down. _Appearance magic is subtle… they won't notice it unless they look for it – hopefully. Just keep calm… Keep calm and they might just think I have potential and that's it… Cor, that'll never work! But maybe it might, try to be positive… Bollocks, I'm no good at being positive…_

Numerous failed attempts at trying cheer himself up later, another Gerudo came and banged on his cell bars.

"Hey ranger," said the woman, "Come on, you're being summoned. And hurry up!"

"I'll take as long as I bloody well please." Vega snapped, half controlling his accent.

But he didn't take long at all. He stood and went up the door. The Gerudo opened it, promptly grabbed him and maneuvered so that he was up against the wall with his hands behind his back, and then tied his wrists. She then yanked him by the ropes and pushed him ahead in the hall.

"I see you like it rough." He said with a smirk.

"Pig." The Gerudo spat. She grabbed one of his arms and then half-dragged him along.

Vega actually had a comment for that, but he decided that it might be in his best interest to keep quiet. He did keep his smug smile, though, which seemed to irritate the Gerudo to no end.

The woman roughly led him out of the building and then quickened her pace. She half-dragged him into the main fortress, taking him through the halls.

"So where are we going, love?" He asked her, stumbling as she pulled at his particularly forcefully.

She didn't answer. Instead, she stopped before a door, yanked him open and pushed him inside.

He fell roughly on his side and he heard the door slam behind him. Groaning in pain from the fall and the side of his sunburned face that was protesting, he looked up. His nose tingled from the soft smoke of incense drifting throughout the dark room as he managed to drag himself up on his knees. In any other situation he would've been able to see just fine, but he couldn't see through the thick fog of the incense. He heard giggling. Perhaps at one point in time, the giggling would've sounded young and innocent. But these giggles were raspy and malicious.

"Heehee, looky Koume… this is the young man that dear Nabooru is so fond of…"

"Ooh, he's handsome if you take the sunburn away, isn't he, Kotake?"

That comment sent shivers of disgust up Vega's spine, especially when he was able to make out two silhouettes in the fog that gave him every reason to feel disgust. He managed to identify them as two old, Gerudo women with very noticeable noses. Somehow, he had a feeling that these old women were the ones he'd been feeling the magical energy from. He didn't dare confirm it by using his sense, though. That would give himself away.

The witches closed in on him, keeping their distance but circling him. He noted was one in blue while the other was in red.

"Well, young ranger, Nabooru seems to believe you can resist _it_." One of them said to him.

"But we don't know. Can you resist _it_?"

"If 'it' is you two, I'm pretty sure I can." He said grudgingly.

More malicious giggles came from the witches.

"He's feisty, isn't he?"

"He may be able to withstand _it_… But we can't be making judgments on feistiness alone."

"Tell us, young man, why would you willingly come here?"

He narrowed his eyes at the one nearest his line of vision. "I seem to have come across some hard lines. Two very annoying twits are after me and I wish nothing to do with them. I felt this might be the lesser of two evils." _I have my doubts about that now, however._

"Courage-"

"-or perhaps stupidity."

And then the two both spoke at the same time in a rather eerie tone, "Or maybe both."

"If you have anything else to say, say it. I'm getting very annoyed and I can safely say I don't really like either of you." He didn't hide his irritation and was half-tempted to burn his way out of his ropes.

They laughed with the same malicious glee that their giggles had.

"Both it seems! I wonder dear sister,"

"Can he withstand _it_?"

"Goddess damned _it_! What the bleeding hell is '_it'_?!" Vega was getting extremely frustrated.

The tiny women hooked their arms together and walked straight at him. Leaning forward at him with great, big grins beneath their great, big noses they said, "_Would you like to see_?"

He leaned back away from them as far as he could. "If it gets you old biddies out of my face, then yes, I would like to see."

They backed away and cackled.

"Kotake, I do believe we should give this boy a chance!"

"I agree Koume! He might just match _it_ in terms of wit!"

Vega gritted his teeth. _I think I hate these two more than Ducky and Bender…_


	25. The Imprisoned Immortal

Hello all! Back to normal ol' me updating! I'm sorry that Dietrich's such a boring a-hole. He has a stick up his ass or something... It's what happens when you're 97 years old and never been laid. And he's looking at me like he wants to eat my soul so I'll stop talking about him. Anyways, this chapter was actually planned rather recently, for reasons which I'll explain at the end.

Also, lots of OoT references here. Hurr, I'm glad this is an AU fanfic because I've effed around with the geograpgy of this version Hyrule so much, I don't think its consistent with any Zelda map. Also, I hate writing Koume and Kotake. I forget which one is which - and if any of you makes a reference to the possible puns there, I will stab people.

**LadyZayriah**: All I can say for last chapter at Link and Zelda's section: UNRESOLVED SEXUAL TENSION. YEEEEAH. There's going to be lots of that in future chapters. XD

* * *

One of the witches untied him and after a moment, there was a knock on the door to the room. Without waiting for a response, the one who knocked came right in. It was Nabooru. She no longer wore the cloak and Vega couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at her. She had a nice body. Stars may not have had any sex drives but they knew good aesthetics when they saw them.

The blue witch, now floating around on a broom, hovered near the younger Gerudo. "This fellow you brought might stand a chance, Nabooru."

The red one floated around on her own broom on the other side of Nabooru, then. "One of the few things you've done right."

The younger Gerudo winced slightly at that, but merely nodded. "So we are to take him to the temple then?"

"Yes, yes! Make sure you have the Lens!" Said the two witches simultaneously.

Nabooru nodded and fished something from a small bag at her side. In her hand she held a set of purple shaded glasses with a strange red insignia on each lens. "I always keep them on me, Madame Twinrova."

"Very well then." Said the red one.

"We'll wait by the gate." Said the blue.

Then together they said, "Don't take long." And then the two flew through the open door.

"Strange glasses." Vega commented.

The woman smiled and put them back in her bag. "The Lens of Truth. They're necessary to cross the Desert of Illusions." She then walked ahead.

He followed, remembering the short conversation she had before with the witches. "How come they spoke down to you like that?" He asked curiously.

She slowed, not expecting such a question, but then quickly returned back to her regular pace. "Simply put, I'm not my brother."

"Your brother? The king of your people?" Asked Vega.

"Yeah…" Nabooru said quietly. After a moment she went on to say, "Since he was the boy, everyone fawned over him. And he was also good at everything he did. So I've always been compared to him and I've never surpassed him. In fact, I've made a lot mistakes while he's… he's perfect…"

_I highly doubt that…_ "No one is perfect."

"He is." She said it almost bitterly.

The star decided not to push the subject any further.

Outside of the building, dawn was approaching. The orange of the sun was already staining the blue sky purple and Vega had a feeling he wasn't going to be having a pleasant trip to this temple. Nabooru walked on over to the fenced area that the guised star had noticed when he had first arrived hours ago. Koume and Kotake were already there and waiting for them.

The two witches were now tied together by a rope and they handed the rest of it to Nabooru. The younger Gerudo tied it around herself and threw the last bit to Vega.

"Tie yourself with it. It wouldn't be good if we all got separated. The Desert can do that." She explained.

He didn't ask how, though he certainly wanted to, and just tied the rope around his waist. He then went and looked beyond the fence at the desert they were about to travel. All he could see was a sandstorm.

* * *

The Desert of Illusions proved to be very difficult and very annoying to cross. By the time the strange group consisting of witches, star, and regular woman had made it to the oasis where the temple they were looking for lay, Vega could easily say he hated sand. He hated it on a scale that had to rival the extreme hate he felt for his brothers and sisters in the sky. There was sand in his boots, there was sand in his mouth, there was sand in places he would rather not have sand in… He hated it.

Just as he was about to spit the sand out of his mouth, he felt the rope at his waist tug violently. The others were moving on, but luckily it was to a place where he could be rid of the very sand he tried to spit out. The first place the women went to was a small spring.

There they got rid of the ropes tying them all to each other and then took a water break. Rather than wonder if the two witches present had sand in their massive noses, Vega decided to look at the goddess-forsaken temple that was across such a troublesome desert.

It was a naga. Not literally of course, but the outside of this temple was shaped like a naga in the middle. Half woman, half snake. She seemed to be sitting upon the entrance to the temple. He just cocked his head in puzzlement at the sight. _Strange architecture… Perhaps this naga represents one of the lesser gods?_

He wasn't sure what was up with it, but soon enough the others were ready and they began to go up to the temple. The three women paused in front of the entrance and then all faced Vega.

"The creature you're about to see is very dangerous." Said the red witch.

"That's why we've sealed it." Said the blue.

Nabooru then said, "Your job is to pretty much just stay and make sure the seals remain intact and to keep anybody from trying to remove them."

"Don't speak to it!" Warned the witches simultaneously. "Never speak to it! It'll speak to you, but don't you speak to it! It'll try to make you release it!"

"I get it. If it's that horrible I won't talk to it. Can we go now?" He said it as if it was something he had recited over a hundred times. Then he walked right past the three women and ahead into the temple.

Koume and Kotake flew on, leading the way, while Nabooru just followed behind Vega. They went through the antechamber and then into the main room. It was in this main room that the star froze at the sight before him.

There was a circle in the middle of the room. It was a large magic circle with runes and letters all around the edge and inside of it. All around the various shapes within and out of it. And inside was a creature. Humanoid in shape, but that was all that could be determined. It wore loose dark robes trimmed in blue and purple that hid any semblance of shape. Its hair cascaded over the floor, a shade of pure white – _real_ white as opposed to Vega's silver white. On its head was possibly one of the strangest hats he'd ever seen with a dragon serving as the outermost brim. Over the hat was a veil so sheer so that even if one was right in front of the creature, its face could not be seen. The sleeves of its robe were long, but even so enormous, black claws were still visible. Around its claws were shackles with symbols that said "seal" on them. But the main identifying feature of this creature was the turquoise symbol upon its hat.

The symbol of the Time Spinner.

The creature's head jerked up and he could feel unseen eyes resting on him.

"Why hello there!" It said in a cheery masculine voice. "New meat today?" This time the voice was like that of a little girl's.

"Kaaah! Don't speak you miserable wretch you!" Said one of the witches angrily. The one whos poke ended up flying near the bound creature in an iiritated fashion.

"Oh Koume, you wound me so," it said with an adult's female voice in mock sorrow, "I thought you would be happy to see me still in my chains." It changed into what sounded like an old man's voice.

"And you'll be staying in those chains!" Koume told it in a huff.

The creature merely laughed, its voice ever changing.

"As you can see," Nabooru pointed out to Vega, "Most people have trouble standing this thing. Think you can take it?"

_Probably not._ "Of course I can. No one touches this creature's seals." _But I'm curious as to why the Time Spinner is _here_ of all places._

"Keh, I don't know if it's confidence or arrogance but we said we'd give you a try." Said the other witch, Kotake.

Koume threw a dirty look at the Time Spinner and then went to her sister's side. Both witches then looked at Vega and spoke, "We'll be back later to see if you can handle this." And then flew out.

Nabooru put a hand on the star's shoulder and then warned, "Careful, Rigel. This… thing… is tricky. We've caught several of our own people almost releasing it and others in a state of delusion."

He brushed her hand off and glanced back at the bound creature, "I can handle it."

The Gerudo gave him a wary look before heading out herself.

Vega merely stared at the Time Spinner, not daring to speak until he felt all the Gerudo had left.

After a few minutes, the chained being spoke, "They've gone. Now tell me, star being, why is your hair such a ridiculous color and length?" Throughout the whole sentence, its tone remained low and hissing.

"What, you don't like it?" Vega replied, twirling a small lock of the stained hair by his brow. "I'm not a fan either, I'll admit. But why are you asking questions that you already know the answer to. You're the master of Time after all, one of the High Immortals and possibly the only one with enough power to rival the goddesses. The real question is how did you get yourself sealed by witches who have no power compared to you?"

"Kekekeke, smart star you are, Vega. Or should I be calling you Rigel?" It was still speaking in the hissy voice, as if it didn't wish to bother changing it anymore. The chains on its black claws rattled and then it continued, "No matter. To answer your question: Fate."

The star narrowed his eyes. He hated that word.

The Time Spinner laughed. "Yes, Fate. I don't deny it, but you do. It's futile to deny it, but you'll continue to do so. Even as you release me you'll continue to do so. Such a foolish little star."

The guised star felt his eyebrow twitch. "Tch, what makes you think I'm going to be releasing you?"

"Kekeke, now you're the one asking questions you know the answers to. I see all. Past and Future. Every Future I see you in, you release me." It said.

He was beginning to understand why people didn't get along with this thing. "Not bloody likely."

The thing smiled. He couldn't see it through the veil, but he knew it was smiling at him – and not kindly. "Keep denying Fate, dear star. I like to see you squirm. But you will release me. Not today, but you will."

_Sadistic sod._ Vega thought. He was familiar with the Time Spinner; it was a creature quite forgotten on the earth, but well known in other circles. It kept to itself most of the time. Nobody knew its face or its gender, only that it enjoyed making other people miserable for no reason. That's why no one ever saw it; because no one liked it.

Still, the fact that it was in this place _and_ sealed meant that the Gerudo were up to something. And by the looks of it, it wasn't anything good. If they had sealed the Time Spinner, they obviously wanted to use it for something. Normally the Time Spinner wouldn't let itself be sealed either, except this time it said Fate was involved. As much as he hated to even think about the word, Fate obviously had a rather large hand in this. The Time Spinner was Fated to be there, Vega was Fated to release it (as much as he hated to admit it), which meant the result of that was also Fated.

He was getting a headache from this… But he had to keep thinking.

Why on earth would the Gerudo want to use the Time Spinner? Stupid thought, it wasn't necessarily the Gerudo but their leader. Nabooru's brother, the king, the evil vomit-inducing presence from the castle, this Ganondorf fellow…

Vega knew the story of the Chosen Three. Power, Wisdom, and Courage. The three parts of the Triforce. The way things usually seemed to work out was that Power wanted the other two so the Triforce could be completed and… he'd do whatever he did with the Triforce, Vega never paid attention to anything after that. The chances were very, very high that the holder of Power was Ganondorf. Ganondorf seemed to be after Vega, probably because he didn't know who the holders of Wisdom and Courage were. Once he got the Triforce, he'd get whatever he wanted but…

Where did the Time Spinner fit in all of this?

He yawned. It had to be midday by now; he was up really late. He could think about all this crap later. He wanted to sleep…

* * *

HAI GAIZ. Anyways, the Time Spinner is a character I recently created. I just felt like throwing it in here to work on its development because it has no story of its own, and it probably won't be getting one anytime soon. I'm glad I threw it in too because I wasnt sure how I was going to work out the Desert Arc for a while. Now I do, which is a good thing!

Anyways, next chapter will be half-half chapter. Half will be with Quinn, the other half is Link and Zelda. Haaa, I'm getting really close to writing a chapter that will make me sad. DDDDD:


	26. Captured

Hey guys. I seem to have lied last chapter. This will not be a half-half chapter. No... it ended up a little too long to merge into one chapter. A pleasant surprise to me. XD This is one is a Link and Zelda chapter, and shortish, but still long enough to constitute as a stand-alone chapter.

**Legend of Zelda 4 Life**: there will be plenty of Zelink in future chapters. Trust me. XD Also, I said I'm getting to close to the chapter that will make me sad. We're still a few chapters away, but I'll let it be known as we get closer to it.

* * *

"You know," Link began, "I like this place." He waved to a gaggle of girls and they giggled like little idiots.

Zelda looked away from the fire they were sitting around to him and then to the girls. "I couldn't imagine why." She said in a tone that reflected her flat expression.

The two had gone deeper into the desert and were running ridiculously low on water. When all hope seemed lost, they had stumbled upon a desert village that had welcomed them with open arms. The people were kind and shared their provisions, having a close-knit sense of community and reliance on each other; they seemed to think it was their duty to help those who passed. They even invited the two to stay for a while to recover their strength… of course, that was mainly the girls of the village talking to Link.

Zelda made sure to refuse them – but not because she was jealous or anything! They simply had to find Vega as soon as possible, and staying for an extended period of time was out of the question.

"It's really too bad we can't stay long." Link mused, giving the group of girls a pleasant smile which ended up making them giggle more.

_What do they think that's cute or something? More like annoying._ "Well we need to find Vega. He hasn't moved for a bit but he might end up going even farther." She said.

"Yes, I know but still… I like the company here." He said, still looking at the girls.

"You really like that?" She asked incredulously. "I mean, they're nothing but a bunch of mindless little girls taken in by a handsome face. If they knew the real chauvinistic jerk that you are, I'm sure they wouldn't be interested."

He raised an eyebrow and smiled at her. "You think I'm handsome?"

She froze for a moment and felt the blood rush to her head. "No! I mean, they probably think you're handsome, but I don't!"

"Really?" Asked the page with a smug look on his face.

"Yes really!" The witch said quickly. And then she blurted out, "I mean, if it was a choice between you and Vega I'd choose Vega any day!"

The last line was the comment that left Link looking shocked. An uneasy silence came into the atmosphere.

_What did I just say?_ Zelda thought. Her face was absolutely serious; she didn't want to show Link that she was actually panicking in her mind. _The only reason I said that was because I _do_ think that Link is handsome! I mean, I've thought that ever since I first met him but… Why did I get so defensive when he teased me about it?! I mean, being handsome is the only redeeming quality Link has… But he does have an amazing sense of responsibility… and he's courageous to the point where it's stupid… and he's strong and… STOP THINKING GOOD THOUGHTS ABOUT HIM!_

As soon as that last thought went through her head, Link sneezed.

Zelda then shot up. "I'm going to my tent!" And she quickly zipped off.

"Yeah…" The page mumbled, still stationary. _She would choose that guy over me?_ It made no sense. While it was true that Link hadn't exactly been the nicest person to her, Vega had been belligerent to both of them. Did she crave the abuse or something? _Goddesses, she has horrible taste in men then…_

And Zelda was wholeheartedly agreeing with Link's thought as she entered the tent and went to the little corner she had claimed for herself. It was a large tent that belonged to a family of girls, none of which were present at the moment because they were nocturnal. Upon finding out that she and Link were not lovers, they had separated them, leaving Zelda with girls and Link with other boys. She didn't mind, in fact she was embracing that right at that moment.

_"I'll speak in your terms just so I can make this bloody clear: While we are tied together, don't you dare ever think of that boy as anything more than a friend."_

She remembered Vega's words. They were still tied together so… so this was good. Vega's words reminded her that she didn't even think of Link as a friend. As long as she remembered that she was not his friend, things would be fine…

_But I do like him. You can like a person and not be their friend, right?_ She let that thought circulate in her brain for a moment before letting out a frustrated sigh and thinking, _Okay, maybe I do think of him as a friend… But nothing more. That I'm sure of. Besides, even if I did want anything more Vega would kill me._

She shuddered as she remembered the star's serious face as he spoke those lines. She could understand why he would want her to avoid ever falling for Link. They shared a soul, and even though they were much closer to being separated than they were before, they still felt the same things. So if ever she was to fall in love with Link… The witch frowned. She could definitely understand why he would not want that.

_"Also keep in mind that there are certain things that stars are incapable of feeling for very good reasons."_

Certain things that stars were incapable of feeling? The girl still had no idea what that meant. From her bond with him, he seemed to have the same spectrum of emotion that regular humans had. He could be happy - rare as it was -, he could be depressed, irritated, confused… pretty much anything she felt he was capable of feeling. So what was it that he was incapable of feeling?

Just as she was about to explore that train of thought, one of the girls that lived in the tent came in looking quite worried. "Zelda! Listen, stay inside, okay!" And then she left as quickly as she came in.

Zelda scrambled up onto her knees and looked towards the tent opening confusedly. Stay inside? But why?

Curiosity was getting the better of her. She crawled over to the tent opening and pulled it a bit aside. She could see everyone was scurrying about… well, almost everyone. She noted that all the men were disappearing into the tents. To the side of her tent was a group of middle-aged women. They were talking amongst themselves but she couldn't help but eavesdrop.

"But didn't a Gerudo come just the other day with a man? What could they want?"

"I don't know but it can't be good…"

"You don't think they're going to recruit are they?"

"I hope not-"

"Here they come!"

She heard the hooves of horses pummeling sand drawing closer. The horses and their riders came into view soon after she heard them. There were four horses and all the riders were women with dark skin, red hair, and swords at the ready. Two of the women dismounted and looked around, glaring daggers at everyone. One of the women on the horses spoke.

"By the orders of the Great Witches Twinrova in our King Ganondorf's absence, we have to recruit women to join our ranks."

_King Ganondorf?_ She thought. Wasn't Ganondorf the name of the king's advisor? She frowned and kept watching.

No more words were spoken from the Gerudo women. The two women who had dismounted were now walking amongst the townswomen and pulling out the women they deemed worthy of joining their ranks. She only retreated back into the tent when it seemed that one of the recruiters was getting much too close to her tent.

Just as she was about to look back out she heard a girl yelp, "No! No, I don't want to!"

"You no choice in the matter. Come with us." Said one of the recruiters firmly.

"No! I'm all my mother has left! No!"

"Hey! She said she doesn't want to go!"

She grimaced at that last voice. _Damn him and his chivalry… _Zelda thought.

Reluctantly, the young witch peeked out from the tent again. Sure enough, Link was there was his strange new sword out.

"Tch," said one of the Gerudo still on the horses. "This bratty boy doesn't know we Gerudo don't take kindly to men."

"That young lady doesn't want to leave. Chivalry demands I help a damsel in distress. I will not let you take her." Link said confidently.

The Gerudo laughed. "Chivalry is dead, kid. Get'im."

The two women who were dismounted drew their swords out and charged at Link. Zelda gasped as she saw that Link managed to disarm them with what seemed like little trouble. She was gaping at the sight, really. He disarmed two Gerudo swordswomen… But the women had acrobatics on their sides. The one that fell on the sand actually landed on her hands and the flipped back at him and managed to kick him as she landed back on her feet. The other one wasted no time and managed to kick Link down and grab both of his arms, crossing them at the back and putting the page in what seemed like a good deal of pain.

The woman holding him smirked. "This kid's strong. He's got skill."

"And a nice blade." Said the other Gerudo, picking up Link's ethereal blade.

"Let it go!" He snapped, causing enough of a fuss to get the Gerudo behind him by surprise.

"Spunk," commented the leader on the horse. "Tie him up. We'll take him back to the fortress and put him to work. Heh, in a few years he may have some stud value too."

_What am I doing just watching?!_ Zelda scolded herself. She had a spell in mind but then noted that there were far too many people in the area. Then she remembered the sword that Link had given her.

She unsheathed it and charged.

"Zelda, don't be stupid!" She heard Link cry.

But she ignored it, going straight for the woman who had him out of action. The other Gerudo came and blocked her blade with her own. Zelda gritted her teeth and attempted to parry, but she left an opening which her opponent gladly took. The Gerudo didn't cut her, though. She merely smacked the flat of her blade very harshly on Zelda's side. Before Zelda couldn't even think to recover, the Gerudo pushed her down. Her head was being buried in the sand and her arm was twisted back painfully by the other hand of the Gerudo.

"Hey, look. A little witch. Twinrova will like her, don't you think?"

"Heh, tie her up too. She'll make a good recruit, I think."

_Damn…_ Both Link and Zelda thought it.

* * *

HURR... I'd give you the next chapter now but... well, it's kind of 4:30 AM. I have it written out already but... I think I'd like to sleep first.


	27. Lineages

GOD DAMN I'M COLD. WHY IS MY ROOM SO FRIKKEN COLD? IT'S HOT AS BALLS OUTSIDE BUT IT'S FREEZING IN MY ROOM. ANGRY FACE.

Hmmm, that expression... hot as balls... Where the hell did that come from? I'm not quite sure I want to know.

Anyways, this chapter is mostly Quinn proving he's a smart cookie but none of us will really think so because this is information even newbie Zelda fans know - well, I might've tweaked some stuff a little... But the end part is kind of important, but once again I'm pretty sure everyone's figured it out more or less. Whatev.

**Legend of Zelda 4 Life**: Hurr, true indeed. In this fic I'm mostly keeping them together because there's still some of that master-unwilling slave thing going on... Gee, that sounded kinky... I actually thought that last chapter was kind of iffy simply because I fail HARD at writing action scenes, so I'm glad you enjoyed it so much. And yes, Vega's life sucks. XD In the immortal words of my Immortal Time Spinner "Fate cannot be denied".

* * *

_A small redheaded boy sat alone in the public dining hall of the castle. He sat alone at a table with a book in front of him. There was a wet napkin by him, one he used to wipe the tears that seemed to keep coming down his cheeks. As much as he tried to focus on the book in front of him, he kept thinking of his aunt…_

Aunt… Why did you have to leave?_ He thought sadly._

_"Quinn?"_

_He looked up and saw his father, the royal wizard Agahnim, standing by his side. The young boy did his best to look presentable, but the swollen eyes still remained. The wizard smiled sadly at his son and took the seat by him. _

_"I also miss your aunt."_

_"I-I don't miss her…" He said unconvincingly._

_The man sighed and then looked over at the book the boy was reading. His eyes widened in surprise. "Quinn, you're reading this? This book has many difficult words in it… do you understand it?"_

_The boy embraced the change of subject and nodded emphatically. "Yes, father."_

_The wizard glanced from the book to his boy and smiled. "Really now? What have you learned from it?"_

_"I learned about the Golden Power."_

_"That's a big subject…" commented his father, "What did you learn about it?"_

_Quinn smiled, forgetting his sadness as he began to recite what he had learned, "A long time ago, when the goddesses created Hyrule, they created the Triforce. Each piece represents one of the goddesses. Power is Din, Wisdom is Nayru, Courage is Farore. When a human managed to touch the Golden Power, they would be granted a single wish with no restrictions. But the Triforce doesn't know right from wrong. Seeing this, the goddesses decided that each part of the Triforce would rest within one person worthy of its power. Power resides in the males of the royal line of the Gerudo, Wisdom resides in the females of the royal line of Hyrule, and Courage resides within one of the descendants of Hyrule's royal knights."_

_"Very good, Quinn!" His father said, seeming very impressed. "It's good to know these things!"_

_The boy nodded but his expression became puzzled. "But father… The Triforce isn't real, right? Nothing can grant a wish and then not want anything in return."_

_The man chuckled and messed up his boy's hair. "Ah, Quinn, you're a cynic just like your mother. But I can assure that it's very real."_

He woke up. Grumbling as he sat up and ran a hand through his getting-too-long hair, he remembered his dream. He didn't know why he dreamed of that something about it bothered him.

He rolled out of bed and checked behind the curtain, wincing slightly as the light of dawn poured through. He hated having a room on the east wing of the castle for that very reason. With a sigh, the feminine young man dressed. He passed by his mirror and then paused, grimacing because his hair was indeed getting too long. He could even see red strands peeking into his vision… Annoying.

Still, he had no time for it at the moment. He would take care of it later. Being sick had really put him behind on work and he had plenty of things to go over now that he was well.

Slipping on his boots, he exited his room and then began on his way to his study. The young wizard found his thoughts drifting back to his dream. He didn't know why, but it almost felt as if there was something important-

_"Power resides in the males of the royal line of the Gerudo, Wisdom resides in the females of the royal line of Hyrule, and Courage resides within one of the descendants of Hyrule's royal knights."_

His child-self's words echoed in his mind for a moment. As a child he questioned the existence of a power that could grant any wish that a person desired merely from a touch, not to mention there wouldn't be any catch to it. But his father had assured him it was real. And now he was sure it was real.

Ganondorf was king of the Gerudo. He was the holder of the Triforce of Power. And he was planning to become king using any means necessary. The mustering of the Gerudo troops was enough to tell him he was willing to go as far as a hostile take over if necessary…

But he also knew it was in the nature of Power to seek more power… This meant that he was most likely going to look for the other holders of the Triforce.

He quickly went to his study and promptly locked the door there. He needed to think… he needed to think and he couldn't be disturbed.

Sitting at his desk, he thought long and hard on the passage he read so long ago. He'd look for the book but he couldn't be sure what it was.

He thought aloud, "Power is male Gerudo royalty… Wisdom is female Hylian royalty… Courage is the Hylian knights…"

He decided it might be easier to think of Courage first. Courage was a descendant of the royal knights of Hyrule. There were disputes as to how many knights there were originally. Some said seven, others said four… The point was that any one of their descendants could be the holder of Courage. Identifying the individual with Triforce of Courage would be…

For some reason Link came into his head.

Nobody in their right mind would trust a teenage boy who said they could cure the king. Why did Quinn trust him so readily? He didn't like to think of himself as an idiot or not in the right mind but there was something there… When Link had said he had a solution, he truly believed him.

He got up and walked right out of his study. He didn't have to go far to find who he was looking for.

"Eugen!" Quinn called to the small blond man in the hall.

Eugen looked his way and then a bright expression came upon his face. "Hello Quinn! You seem like you've caught onto something big!"

The wizard went to the small blonde's side and then asked, "Your nephew, Link, what's his lineage on his father's side?"

The province holder rocked back and forth on his heels in thought and then said, "Well, I know his father was one of the best swordsmen around. Never met him, even though he was married to my sister. I know he and Odran were friends. Really thinking on it, I remember my sister writing to me when she and he first met. She said he was a descendant of one of Hyrule's royal knights. Why?"

The redhead just stared blankly at the blond man-child. Eugen had just confirmed it… Link probably wasn't even aware of it, himself… but Quinn was positive that Link was the holder of the Triforce of Courage.

"Hello, Quinn? Are you there?" Asked Faron province holder, waving a hand in front of the wizard's face.

Quinn snapped back into reality, then rushed past Eugen while saying, "Thank you!"

Courage… while he may not have seen the Triforce mark on Link he was sure that boy was the holder of Courage… Now Wisdom.

He thought of the girl with Link, the one who looked so much like his aunt. A witch that managed to break the mirror he was using to scree. That girl… he was sure… he was so sure but he had no basis for it, no proof of her lineage. Not yet, at least.

He stopped in front of the doors to the king's room. The guards were at attention and not about to let him pass.

"I need to see the king." He told them.

The more senior guard said, "The king is not to be disturbed!"

The young wizard gritted his teeth and said with more authority, "I need to see the king."

The guard repeated himself.

"Under whose authority is the king not to be disturbed?!" He snarled. The guards flinched. He may have looked like a girl but he could be intimidating when he wanted to, dammit.

The junior of the guards then spoke up, "Ah… Under Lord Dragmire's orders… sir wizard…"

Scowling, Quinn said, "Let me through. I'm speaking with king. If Lord Dragmire has a problem with it then he can speak to me. Now get out of my way."

The guards reluctantly back away from the doors and Quinn wasted no time entering the king's room. He made sure to close the door behind him.

"Quinn?" The king asked upon seeing him. "I didn't expect you. Anya told me that you haven't been well as of late? Is something wrong, you seem troubled?"

"What happened to my aunt?" It came out rough.

The king seemed shocked by that question. The cursed king then pursed his lips and then looked down at his hands.

"_What happened to my aunt_?" he asked. This time, his voice was laced with anger and sorrow… Emotion he had been holding in for so many years. His aunt… She was like his mother… This had more to do than just finding out who that girl was now…

"Sit down…" The king said sorrowfully.

His hands in fists, Quinn hastily grabbed a chair and sat.

"I knew you would ask this one day…" the king started. He out a hand to his forehead and massaged it lightly. "I want you to know, before I say anything… I didn't want any of this to happen…"

"Just tell me what happened." Quinn spat.

The king sighed and then he looked towards the ceiling, his expression seeming to place him in a far off place within his memories. "You, your father, and your aunt came to this castle from a place far away. Your father was a great wizard, and so my father, the previous king, appointed him as the court wizard. I had met your aunt shortly after that… And I loved her dearly. My father died soon after. I had every intention to marry your aunt, Quinn, but…" The king choked on his words, as if unable to go on.

Quinn would have none of that. "But?"

"The Court and the Council… they didn't approve because she was a woman from another country. The only favorable ties she had were her brother. She was a woman with no political standing, otherwise… There was nothing to gain from a marriage with her. I fought my hardest but they refused… and when she… she told me she was…" The king put his hand back on his forehead and chuckled bitterly. The young wizard could see tears coming down the older man's eyes now. "I didn't want to, Quinn… I never wanted to exile your aunt… But they threatened to make her life so miserable-"

"Because exile is so much better." Interrupted Quinn bitterly.

"Compared to what they would've done to her, yes…" said the king. "But I was still willing to fight for her to stay. But she said… she said she would leave so my reputation wouldn't be harmed… I tried to convince her to stay but… I'm sorry, Quinn… I'm so sorry…"

The redhead resisted the urge to say 'You should be'. Looking down at his knuckles white with fury and sadness, he did his best to calm himself. It was his aunt's decision to leave after all… There was no reason to blame the king. As much as he wanted to blame the king, it wasn't his fault. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Quinn looked back at the king who still avoided eye contact with him. Time to go back to business…

"Your Highness… My aunt was pregnant when she was exiled… Did you ever find out the sex of the child?" He asked.

The king looked at him numbly, but nodded. "She sent me a letter in secret… It was a girl." The king smiled pitifully. "A girl… I'll never see her, my little girl…"

Quinn stood and then went to the door. He let his hand rest on the handle for a moment before he said, "It wasn't your fault, Your Highness…"

Another moment of silence.

"Quinn… can you forgive me?" The king finally asked, his voice hoarse and regretful.

"You don't need my forgiveness, Highness, but if it makes you feel better then yes." And without another word, Quinn exited the room and went back to his study.

That girl… that witch… a female of Hylian royal blood… the holder of the Triforce of Wisdom.

This was all still guesswork. Until he saw the symbols on the backs of the hands of those two, he couldn't be completely sure. But he had never been so confident in something. He knew those two were the holders of the other pieces of the Triforce. And he knew that no one else could know of this. As long as he was one step ahead of Dragmire, he had the advantage. He couldn't risk losing that…


	28. Found But Still Lost

... You know... I really need to think about my chapter titles beforehand rather than just naming them on the spot. I'm pretty sure this is lamest title yet.

Hmmm... As much of a spree I've been going on with this, I really didn't want to do this chapter. I don't like how it came out but whatever.

**Legend of Zelda 4 Life**: Yes he does... And if you really want to, you can hug him. :3

**la generala**: Yesss, everything isss coming out. e.e

* * *

Vega crinkled his nose as he looked at the great circle in which the Time Spinner was imprisoned in. And no matter how many times he looked at it, he came to the same conclusion.

He had no idea what anything on that circle meant.

"You know, you could help out. _You're_ the one sealed here." The star told the veiled Immortal.

"Kekeke, what fun would there be in that? You can think of it as payment for disappointing me so. I was hoping you'd squirm a while more." Its voice was hissy, changing from high to low tones on a whim.

The Time Spinner had been saying that for just about every question he asked of it. It was ridiculously annoying. He still had no idea where the Immortal fit in all of this, except that the Gerudo probably wanted to manipulate time in some fashion. He wasn't sure how that was possible since the Spinner was sealed of its magic, but then again he didn't understand over half of what was written in that circle either. The point was, whatever the Gerudo wanted with the Time Spinner it wasn't good. As much as he was trying to stay on a neutral playing field, he couldn't overlook this. _Though, I wish I could…_

He stepped around the circle and then put a foot past the edge of the circle. Nothing happened. He squatted down and looked at the lines again. Crinkling his nose again, he tried to smudge the circle with his thumb. The line remained solid as ever. Frowning, he stood again and looked to the shackles of the Time Spinner. The chains were long enough to allow the creature to move but not long enough to let it out of the circle.

"Let me look at the cuffs on your…" The star wasn't sure if it would take claws as offensive or not. "Hands?"

It chuckled and then extended its wrists, letting its black claws hang limply. He took a few steps closer and examined the shackles. Each one had another seal on it, both charged with more power than the circle. Vega was a bit impressed. Those seals had a lot of power just being labeled "Seal" on it.

The Time Spinner then began to chuckle.

"May I ask what's so funny? If it's about my sunburn-"

"Kekeke, not at all dear Vega." It said, putting its claws back to its sides. It walked, or glided – he wasn't sure which -, to the southern most edge of the circle. "Fate is making its move. What will you do?"

The guised star narrowed his eyes at the High Immortal. "You already know what I'll do even though I'm clueless. Don't ask stupid questions. I don't take it you're going to be telling me what Fate is doing."

The Time Spinner chuckled and glanced back at the star. "Of course not. But you will not release me today."

Vega just rolled his wrist in dismissal and walked out of the circle. "Whatever. Just don't talk about fate anymore; it's driving me barmy…"

"Very well. We can speak of your brothers and sisters if you'd like." Despite the changing voices from beneath the veil, Vega could sense the Time Spinner just wished to be cruel.

"Just shut up."

"Hmm, as you wish dear star." Said the Time Spinner with a motion that was probably a shrug as it went back to its normal spot in the circle. "You're not nearly as fun as I thought you would be anyways."

_So sorry not to be entertaining. Not. _The star thought bitterly.

He went back to his previous chain of thought, trying to figure out why the Time Spinner was necessary. The king of the Gerudo had the Triforce of Power and he wanted the other two parts, which were currently residing in Link and Zelda. Ganondorf didn't know that, which was why he was looking for Vega. If Ganondorf was to get a hold of all three parts of the Triforce, what would happen? When he learned of these things during his lessons up in heaven, he had zoned out by this point. It probably wasn't good whenever Power wanted to get the other two parts of the Golden Power. So it was safe to assume that the Time Spinner wasn't going to be used for the good of humanity. In fact, he was getting the feeling it might be more along the lines of Power taking over the known world, then using time to manipulate Past and Future, guaranteeing a never ending rule.

Vega visibly grimaced. Yes, a few of those lessons that he had zoned out from were coming back to mind.

He looked back to the Time Spinner. The Immortal held up a clawed and shackled hand, as if it knew his intention. "You will not release me today."

The star gritted his teeth. It knew all this… so why was it waiting?

He could sense a smug grin from behind the creature's veil. "I have my reasons."

Vega began to march towards the Immortal. "Hell with that. Fate says I'll release you and I don't have to wait for you to-"

One of the Time Spinner's claws nestled nicely around the star's neck when he had gotten too close. But because of the size of the claw, it was more like two fingers and the thumb wrapped around his neck while the other two were scratching his sunburned face. And no matter how much Vega attempted to pull the claw away, its grip never changed.

"You will not release me today." The voice it spoke in was demonic. "If you release me now, you deny Fate. As long as I am master of Time, _no one_ denies Fate."

Still attempting to pull the creature's claw away from his neck, he finally managed to choke, "Fine… won't… release you…"

Only after he said that did it let him go.

_Note to self…_ Vega thought as he massaged his neck, which was burning from the impending bruising and the sensitivity of his peeling skin. _Never cross a High Immortal…

* * *

_

"Koume, it looks like Nabooru really did so something right." Said one witch to the other in their heavily incensed room.

"Yes. We've checked on that boy and he seems to be able to stand that creature well. But-"

They turned to each other and spoke at the same time, "Doesn't he seem strange to you?"

The witch in red floated up on her broom and circled the room. "Yes, doesn't he?"

The blue witch floated around in the opposite direction and replied, "Yes, he does. It seems like he's hiding something?"

"But what?" They both asked, pausing in their float-pacing.

"Kotake, surely you can sense the aura of magic around him?"

"But of course I can! I'm not a little ninny like you, Koume!" Responded the other witch sharply.

"Kyaaah! Troublesome woman! You're just jealous because I was always better than you!" Screamed Koume.

"Your memory must be screwed up, you hag! _I_ was always better than you!" Kotake screamed back.

"Who are you calling a hag? We're twins, you know!"

"Sometimes I wish we weren't!"

"Despicable!"

"Moronic!"

"Stupid!"

"Dummyface!"

"Um, Madams Koume and Kotake…?"

"What?!" Both witches turned angrily towards the door, where a very confused looking Nabooru stood.

"Em, the recruiters came back…" Said the young Gerudo general.

"So?" Both witches said.

Nabooru then seemed to remember herself and she stood at attention as she said, "The recruiters came back but they brought back a little witch and a young man."

"Kah! Man? What's with all these men coming into our desert?!" Screeched one of the witches.

"Never mind the man! A witch, you said?" The other witch asked Nabooru.

The younger Gerudo nodded. "Yes. But she's young and I'm not quite sure how much experience she has. She refuses to talk to any of us unless she sees her friend, the man."

"Then let her see him," said the blue witch.

"We'll talk to her tomorrow." Said the red witch.

The two witches then looked at each other in a kind of giddy glee. They giggled in their cruel fashion and said to each other, "A witch to train! Exciting!"

Nabooru merely inclined her head respectfully and stepped out, closing the door behind her. She then began to walk to the women's prison block to go take the witch to see her friend, but the twin witches were still in her head. With a sigh, she thought about how excited they were when they heard about the witch. The Gerudo general frowned, feeling a bit envious of this witch. She was lucky, whoever she was. Nabooru was supposed to train under Twinrova, once upon a time… but she had no magical skill. Ever since then, she seemed to be a never ending source of disappointment for her surrogate mothers.

_Well, Rigel did have a point I guess. Nobody's perfect._

She entered the women's cellblock, a drastic change from the men's. Unlike the men's the women's cellblock wasn't dirty, just dusty. Currently, the only one in the cellblock was the little witch. All other recruits were currently being outfitted. Prison time was usually only given to uppity Gerudo and uppity recruits - like the girl in the cell now. They were given one chance. After that… well, taking them to prison would be a waste of time, among other things. Turning towards the first cell, she saw the little witch was already looking at her with uncertainty. Nabooru looked at the girl, feeling as if she'd seen her before but… she was sure she'd never met her.

Back to business. "Come on. We're going to see your friend."

The witch brightened and stood up, patting the dust off her as she did so. "It's about time."

"Might want to watch your mouth. Twinrova doesn't like lip." Nabooru told her, sliding open the cell door.

Zelda frowned, partly out of this woman's attitude and partly out of puzzlement, and walked out of the cell. "Who's that?"

"You'll meet them soon enough." Said the Gerudo general. "Follow me, and keep close. If you try to run, you may not survive."

The young witch said nothing but just nodded. She had no intentions of running, at least not at the moment. She followed the woman, ignoring the strange looks she was getting from other Gerudo. It wasn't long before they came to a stop at another building. Nabooru paused and turned to her.

"We wait here." Nabooru then turned to another Gerudo seemingly keeping watch by the building. "Fetch the young page the recruiters brought."

The Gerudo underling nodded and entered. Nabooru couldn't help but look at the girl again. She was sure she'd seen her before, but probably in passing. A few moments later, the door to the men's prison block opened and the Gerudo came out with the boy. Once again, Nabooru found herself feeling that she had seen him somewhere but, like witch, only in passing.

"Zelda," Link started, obviously confused. "What's going on? Are we being set free?"

"Don't be stupid," Nabooru snapped, "I'm only letting the girl speak to you because she wouldn't say anything until she saw you. So make it quick."

Link gave her a look and was about to say something but Zelda stopped him. "I don't think this is any place for your sexism…" She whispered. The collared page grumbled but reluctantly nodded.

"Link, Vega's here." She said, once again it was mostly a whisper. While she was sure the Gerudo would have no idea what they were talking about, on the off chance that they did, she didn't want them finding out.

The page forked an eyebrow and frowned. "He is…? I didn't see him in jail…"

"You probably weren't looking, either." The witch pointed out. "But I don't think he's _here_ here, so it isn't an issue. He's not that far away but… Just leave everything to me!" Then she nodded to the Gerudo that had taken her there, and the woman took her by the arm and took her away.

"Wait, Zelda! What do you mean?" He cried out, but the Gerudo that had taken him out grabbed him by his tied hands and took him back to his cell.

Let her take care of everything? That was… Aside from being a woman, he'd dealt with her long enough to know that whatever she planned, something was going to go horribly wrong with it.


	29. Seals

Short. Like, really short. No complaining.

I'm getting close to the chapter that will make me sad. It's a chapter that I've been planning for a long time now. In fact, it's one of the first scenes that came into my head when I had just thought of the story. Nonetheless, it doesn't stop me from being sad about it. If it's not next chapter, than it will be the next chapter after that. Most probably, it'll be the latter.

* * *

Zant, as always, stayed in the shadows, keeping his eyes on Anya. Ganondorf had told him a few days before to keep an eye on her. The Gerudo king had grown suspicious of Quinn after the young wizard had apparently upset the king. What Quinn had said, no one knew. But Ganon did not wish to risk Quinn sensing Zant, however minimal the wizard's ability was, so he sent the Twili to follow Anya in her shadow.

But Zant knew he was right when he told his lord that the woman could prove to be useful. Following her, as tedious as it could be sometimes, gave him information that would be very useful to Ganondorf. The first piece of important information was that both the woman and the wizard seemed to be very well aware of Ganondorf's heritage and plots. They had spoken of the Triforce on multiple occasions and made references to all three of the holders. Quinn didn't speak that much of Wisdom and Courage, so Zant had his doubts that the wizard knew who the holders were. The wizard seemed to know of the situation in the Gerudo desert, and he often made allusions to "informants". He never gave names.

The second piece of important information, which could be on the same level of importance as the first, was that Anya was very obviously a double agent. She often told the wizard what little bits of information that Ganon told her and she had what seemed to be a very deep attachment to Quinn. That surprised the Twili spy, because the young wizard was one of the few men that the woman hadn't slept with. Closer observation on her manner around the wizard seemed to bring more confidence into his theory that perhaps Anya loved Quinn. The wizard, on the other hand, either didn't notice, didn't care, or was just smart and didn't trust her at all.

Third piece of information: Anya pretended to play her own game, but she was pretty much Quinn's errand girl. Add this to the second fact and it proved that Quinn was masterminding something against Ganondorf.

Fourth piece of information: Quinn had asked Anya at one point "Nobody has been touching the king's pillow, right?"

He obviously couldn't include it in his report to Ganondorf while he had no idea what the question was about, but he would have to investigate it when his lord gave him time do so. At the moment, the blue man was too afraid to exit the woman's shadow unless Ganon sent him the order to do so. He didn't want to risk having his heart tortured again…

The Twili felt Ganon's tug. Time for his report…

* * *

Vega was standing in the circle again, looking down at the many symbols that made it up. He was looking but not really registering. He couldn't register anything in his mind lately due to chronic headaches. He blamed it on trying to figure out the circle, but a nagging suspicion in the back of his mind told him it might be something else.

He heard chains rattle behind him, and before he could turn to see what was going on, the Time Spinner was there. It was caressing his face gently with one large claw and gripping his shoulder with the other. His still peeling skin was still sensitive, so the caress of the Time Spinner hurt like hell.

"Dear Vega, I do believe today is the day you will be releasing me." It said in a cooing motherly voice.

Its head was really near his face and he couldn't help but glare at it. The star could almost see the smile through the veil, but he didn't dare try to make out the rest of the face.

"That's great. The faster you decide to stop scarping my skin, the faster I can release you." Vega growled.

"Kekeke, as you wish." It said, letting go and stepping back. But it didn't go too far.

Stepping out of the circle again, Vega looked out from the outside. He was pretty sure he had an idea of what most of the symbols within the circle were. Dispelling the circle would be easy enough. He worried about the chains, however. He took a deep breath, knelt down and put a hand on the circle.

Dispel the circle. All that really required was a basic understanding of what it did and simply sucking out whatever power lay behind it. Taking another deep breath, he then began the arduous process of sucking the magic out and releasing it out into the open. He didn't dare try and suck up all that magic in his own body; that might make his headache worse. And it wasn't like he had any use for it anyways. The intricate circle, which had been glowing red and blue (depending on certain parts), began to dim. The red was fading into a muddy brown and the blue into a stony grey. After some indeterminate amount of time later, but enough to cause the star to go into a sweat, the circle slowly began to disappear. Bit by bit, the lines and symbols were just vanishing. After more time that he couldn't elapse, it was finally gone.

Vega stood, suddenly realizing how flimsy his legs felt and how much more his head throbbed. He looked back to the Time Spinner which held out its shackles. Suppressing a groan, the star went over and looked at the seal of the chains. As with the circle, he began the same process. And just when he was almost finished…

"_KYAAAAAAH! What are you doing, boy?!_"

The star turned quickly on his heel, suddenly feeling overwhelming panic come over him. The two witches were there, most probably coming to do a surprise check up. Well… there certainly was a surprise.

The sound of chains breaking came perhaps half a second later. Vega once again turned quickly on his heel to see the Time Spinner now floating in the air. It was high enough up that the star could see a crooked smile beneath its veil. It waved a massive claw to the side which seemed to tear through the very fabric of reality, opening a whole into what seemed like nothingness. And from that nothingness, it felt like things of unspeakable natures wanted to come out.

"Dear Vega," the Time Spinner began. "I don't wish for you to think me ungrateful… So I wish you luck on what comes." And then it retreated into the void of nothingness, which sealed quickly up when it was gone.

"_Fuck_." Vega spat. He really shouldn't have expected it to help him, but there was that hope. And the hope was crushed now.

He faced the witches again, who were now flying directly at him. The blue witch held a wand of ice before her and the red a wand of fire. Both were aiming right at him. With a whistle, he thrust both his arms off to the side and sent both witches flying off to the walls. Afterwards, he ran with no intention of stopping.

"A wizard?!" Shouted one witch.

From the sound of it, it seemed like they were flying again, and they weren't that far.

"Kah! No!" Shouted the other witch. "Appearance magic! He's not human!"

And then it felt like something punched him in the back of his head. He landed face first on the stone floor. After he finished screaming in pain, he noticed the strands of hair in front of his eyes were back to their normal silvery white. "Fuck."

"A star!" Both witches cried out with glee. "We found the star!"

Vega turned quickly on his back and made a slapping motion with one arm, sending both witches flying back into the wall. He scrambled up and made to run again. He was so close to the exit now…

Unseen force hit his back, sending him to his knees. The star coughed as he stared incredulously at the floor. Something about it… it was more than just a hit. One of the witches, the red on he thought, floated up in front of him. A wave of her wand and then it felt like he was being punched in the stomach… but once again, it was more than a hit. Two more strikes, this time at his sides. Then a last one to his head.

He fell to the floor with a thump, tasting blood in his mouth. He gritted his teeth and pushed himself up. He was not going to be stopped by these ugly, old hags!

He threw a hand out at one of the witches. The witch merely gave him an evil smile. He threw his hand out again, feeling panic rise within him again. Nothing was happening…

"We've sealed you, star." Said one of the witches.

"Now be good and cooperate." Said the other.

But it came through as a blur. He just stared at his hand. His magic… he couldn't use his magic. But he was a star being, how could he not use magic? How… What was a star without his magic…?

* * *

Short chapter is short. D:


	30. Scheming

Uh, yeah. I would've updated earlier but MMORPGs have taken over my life right now... I'd also talk to the my lovely reviwers today but... My life has been taken over by MMORPGs. But take note, just because I'm not talking to you today doesn't mean I don't love you guys, k? I really do appreacitae the postive reviews. They make me feel warm and fuzzy inside! :3

So yeah... I'm going back to playing MapleStory now...

* * *

"Useless girl!"

"You never fail to disappoint!"

Those were just two of the sentences that Koume and Kotake had graced Nabooru's ears with. Well, how was she supposed to know that Rigel, if that was his name, was a star?! From the description she was given, he certainly didn't look like one when she first saw him. In fact, Twinrova hadn't even noticed until they caught him in the act of releasing the Time Spinner…

But of course, they weren't going to take all of that into consideration. As far as the witches were concerned, everything was Nabooru's fault. And she couldn't even point it out to them. All she could do was keep her eyes focused firmly on the floor beneath her and wait for them to finish yelling at her. And when they were done with that, they would punish her. Just the mere thought of punishment was enough to make her cringe in her mind. Normal punishment for screw-ups varied from latrine duty all the way to time in the Training Grounds. She had no doubts she would have to do time in the Training Grounds.

"Now, pay attention Nabooru!" Snapped one of the witches, which one she couldn't tell. Pay attention meant 'keep your head down but listen closely'. "Seeing as how you made such a grievous mistake, you are to undergo 24 hours at the training Grounds with no disturbances or breaks."

As much as the younger Gerudo tried to hold it back, she flinched. 24 hours straight at the Training Grounds was very severe…

"Also, we've decided that you are no longer suitable to be a general."

Her head flipped up and she stared at them with abject horror. "What?"

Kotake continued on as if she hadn't heard a thing. "You are being stripped of your rank and being demoted to captain, effective immediately after your time at the Grounds."

"Which will be tomorrow." Finished Koume.

_But there was no way I could've known! This isn't fair!_ She thought. Then again, life wasn't fair… but to be stripped of rank as well as 24 hours at the Grounds?

She didn't know how long she had been staring blankly at the witches before both said, "You are dismissed."

Blankly, she exited the room and the building. Really, she was just walking aimlessly around the fortress still sucking everything in. She didn't know - there was no way she could have known! Even if she did look for appearance changing magic, she still wouldn't be able to tell! She didn't have an ounce of magic in her!

Feeling frustrated, she bean to stomp angrily towards the high security cellblock. That was where they put the star; despite the fact he was harmless without his magic. She also knew that he was currently the only resident of the prison. After Ganondorf had taken charge, there had been no Gerudo that were placed in that prison now that they had death sentences for treason.

The guards let her in without any trouble. Even if the guard did know she had been demoted, her demotion wouldn't be in effect for two days. As soon as was in the prison lock, she went straight to the nearest iron door and opened it. She didn't bother to close it. While the cells were just rooms, prisoners couldn't escape because they were chained the wall behind them. Even then, the star didn't seem like he wanted to run. If anything he seemed rather… blank. But he did seem to acknowledge her presence.

"This is your fault!" Nabooru snapped at him.

He chuckled humorlessly. "I suppose it is… whatever it is."

"I've been demoted thanks to you!" She told him angrily. "I'll probably never make it to general again!"

He didn't say anything. Really, there was nothing Vega could say to that. It was his fault but, as bad as he felt for Nabooru, he did not regret what he did.

"Tch, I never should've trusted you." she growled, turning on her heel and making to get out. "You lied, just like every other man."

"I did no such thing." Vega said, causing Nabooru to pause and look back at him in utter outrage. "The only thing I lied about was my name; my real name is Vega, which is quite obviously an uncommon name. Other than that, I was completely honest – or rather as honest as I could be without getting into detail."

The Gerudo merely glared at him and then continued on her way out. She slammed the door behind her and the echo practically boomed throughout the whole cellblock. Yelling at him wasn't nearly as beneficial to her attitude as she thought it would be… in fact, it seemed it had the opposite effect than what she wanted. She was even angrier than before.

* * *

_Vega's here!_ Zelda thought, doing her best to hide the delight she was feeling. She was attempting to be as monotonous as possible in the Gerudo mess hall. A few hours earlier she was released, but there was always an armed Gerudo nearby to watch her every move. Deciding that she might hear something where there were more people, she'd gone into the mess, but hadn't actually eaten anything. She had told Link she would take care of everything, so all she had to do was get into a less crowded place, get rid of the guard, somehow release Link and get their weapons, they'd find Vega and leave. It would probably be smart to find the star first, though.

"Um, excuse me, miss guard?" The young witch said, noting that the guard paid no attention to her. She frowned, realizing that she wouldn't be getting information out of the guard if she was going to act like that. And all she had been hearing in the mess was gibberish and-

"You heard? _It_ was released by that man Nabooru brought."

"Oh, Nabooru must be getting the punishment of a lifetime."

"I heard she was demoted."

"What about the guy she brought? What happened to him?"

_Yes, what happened to him – if he is who I think he is…_

"I know he's in the high security prison block now… Oh yes, and I heard he isn't human either! His hair? Apparently he was using magic to change that. He's got this neat slivery white hair now and I heard that Twinrova sealed him…"

At first, Zelda had been extremely elated to hear that this man was Vega. Who else had silver-white hair? But she then blanked out at the word "seal". He was sealed… So what about her? The day before, she felt like she was attacked, punched all around… Was that the sealing? She certainly wished she had her spellbook now but, like Link's sword, the Gerudo had confiscated it.

There was anther way to find out… but she was afraid to.

Frowning, she decided she had no other options. She glanced at the cup of water before her on the table. All she had to do was make it boil… If it worked, she hoped no one would notice or she would lose what little control she had. If nothing happened… She grimaced.

Twitching her fingers ever so slightly and putting full concentration onto the cup before her, she unleashed the small spell. _Just wait a few seconds…_ she thought, looking up over the cup.

Nothing happened.

She did her best to hide her panic, but she had a feeling that maybe a little bit of it was showing as some women that passed her gave her strange looks… Either that or because her style of clothing was so radically different from theirs. She'd been getting glances even before she panicked… Maybe it was both?

_This changes… everything…_ She thought. And really, magic was all she mostly knew. She knew a little bit about fighting, but only the very basics. She wouldn't stand a chance against any of these Gerudo, who were faster and stronger and _trained_. _Gosh, I'm sorry Link… I don't think I can handle this on my own…_

There was only one hope, then. And that hope was that Link's sexism was as strong as ever. As much as she hated to admit it, if his sexism was still going strong, then he would've completely disregarded her statement about letting her take everything. And knowing him, despite being turned into a wolf and not saying anything – well, not as much anyways – he was probably still as chauvinistic as ever.

And she was right. Completely so, in fact. Even as she pondered how things were going to play out, Link was thinking of how he could get out of his cell.

It was unbearable, that cell. Hygiene wasn't on Link's list of high priorities, but the cell he was in was way too disgusting for his taste. It would probably be disgusting for Odran, even! And he couldn't say he enjoyed the background noise. Almost every cell in the place was occupied with some form of low-life. There were a few cells with men in the same situation as him, but they were quiet. Everyone else was noisy and cursing at the Gerudo guards that paced back and forth before their cells. And if they weren't cursing then they were saying very raunchy things to the guards, who would promptly glare and/or hit them.

But even as the page thought and thought and thought… he couldn't come up with a thing. The security was decent, but even if he did manage to escape, the possibility of it being quiet was very slim. Not to mention he didn't have his sword, not that he couldn't try without his sword but it would probably be unwise since fighting against someone with a weapon… the odds weren't very good.

With a sigh, he looked at the small, greasy haystack provided as a sort of crappy bedding he supposed. He might as well get some sleep.

The collared page put his head against the haystack and flinched. Scowling and sitting up quickly, he massaged the small bump forming on his head. What did he hit? A rock? He didn't remember a rock there…

He brushed some of the hay aside and then quickly pushed the hay back. His heart was beating rapidly and he had to admit, the situation was kind of scary. Not only did his sword just suddenly appear in his hay-pillow, if a Gerudo saw it, it wouldn't be good. But now that he had a sword, he could come up with a plan that might stand a chance of working. His failure last time was underestimating the Gerudo, this time he we wouldn't.

_Sorry, Zelda, but I can't trust you to come up with a plan to get us out._

With his sword, he stood a chance. And since the hallway was narrow, he didn't have to worry about being ganged up on either. What he really had to worry about was the interference of any of the other men in the cells. They might make a grab for his sword when he managed to get out of his cell…

And what would be a good time to escape? How would he find Zelda, too? Even better question, how would he find her _and_ manage to get out of this place? The Gerudo were warrior women, every single one of them was trained in combat. Getting out wouldn't be easy…

_Tch, I can't plan for that… But what I can plan for, luck is going to be a really large factor._

He grimaced as he remembered his luck as of late.

_Well… it might take a turn for the better._


	31. Ignorace Would Have Been Bliss

Early update! OH MAI! But be warned, I don't know of you'll get a chapter Saturday! Because alas, I am still addicted to MapleStory and I have an insane quest to finish (ROWEN THE FAIRY I HAET U LONG TIEM!). So if it comes to that, take this as Saturday's chapter. But I will still try to get you an update Sat.

Place-wise in the story, we're in the later half. We'll probably be reaching the end soon (but don't worry, soon for me is like 15, 20 chapters). Goddammit, I really had no intention of making this such a long story but it just seemed to end up that way... Oh well. Whatev.

Sad chapter makes me almost cry. D:

* * *

The king snored loudly as he slept, completely at peace. He never would have thought that a Twili creature was investigating his room in the shadows. And since it was night, there were plenty of shadows.

Zant came completely out of the shadows, fairly certain that the king wouldn't be waking anytime soon. _But they said under the pillow…_ he reminded himself.

Carefully, he slipped a blue hand under the king's pillow. He paused when the king snorted from the shift of the pillow, but the king simply turned to the other side when he finished his snort. Containing a sigh of relief, Zant let his hand crawl carefully under the pillow. At first, he didn't feel anything except the feather-down mattress and pillow sandwiching his hand. Then he felt something cold and metallic. Furrowing his brow, he wrapped his fingers around the object and carefully pulled it out.

When he had pulled it out, he was surprised to see an amulet featuring the Hylian crest. Was this what Anya and Quinn had been speaking of?

The Twili heard a groan and he turned his attention to the king. The man had seemed so at peace before, but now he seemed to be having a sort of fit. He looked back at the amulet and then searched it with his own magical sense.

In surprise, he let it go and he scrambled to catch it before it pounded on the floor. This time, Zant did let out of sigh of relief. The king, in his fit, did not seem to notice nor did Zant even check. The amulet he was holding was the important thing… and he needed to take it to Ganondorf right away.

Fading into the shadows again, he quickly returned to Ganon.

-----------------------------------------

"It has Quinn's stink all over it." Ganondorf commented as he fingered the amulet. As calm as he appeared, he was actually very angry. He was seething, really. He knew Quinn was up to something but he never would have thought that little novice of a wizard was capable of charging such magic into one little amulet. It was that piece of metal that had kept his curse at bay. That's all it did, though; slow the inevitable. But it was slowing it enough to throw a rock in the works. So if Quinn could do that, what else would he be doing to interfere with his plans? He already knew Anya was a double-agent, and that was no big surprise.

"I think I've let that kid move around too much." Said the Gerudo almost absently.

Zant, who had remained nearby, nodded and said, "Would you like me to take care of him?"

"No." Ganondorf said. "I'll take care of it myself."

* * *

Quinn had a bad feeling. He found himself biting his thumbnail from this bad feeling that he couldn't identify. Looking down at the papers before him, he went back to what he was doing before. He took his pen, dipped it in the ink and finished off the few remaining words the paper required. Part of the bad feeling told him he needed to finish the papers…

When finished, he folded them neatly and opened up the drawer in his desk. He removed the fake bottom of the drawer and opened up the secret space. He gently placed the papers in the space and put the fake bottom in place. Once that was done, the young wizard felt more at ease but still troubled. Getting antsy from the lingering presence, he rose, grabbed his father's staff and walked out of his study.

As he walked, he became more aware of the staff in his hand. His father's staff… Finely crafted and given to his father by the king, himself… His father, Agahnim, had taught him mostly everything he knew. When he died, he literally left everything to Quinn. The staff meant more to him than the position he held… but for some reason, it seemed to be extremely eerie at the moment. It seemed that no matter where he was going to wander, something would keep the eerie foreboding feeling around him.

"Quinn."

He flinched at the sound of Dragmire's voice. He was the last person he wanted to see… Turning and facing the Gerudo man, the young wizard nodded cordially and said, "Lord Dragmire."

Dragmire had a pleasant air about him, as always. Yet there was something different about him today. The glint in his eye told Quinn that the Gerudo's intentions probably weren't very good.

"Quinn, I believe it's time we had a talk." Said Dragmire, "If you would follow me to a more appropriate setting, we can have our chat."

Well, the young wizard obviously didn't have a choice in the matter. He just nodded and followed the lead of the dark man. A private conversation…. Dragmire had obviously caught on and wanted to let Quinn know it. How much he had caught on to was a different question that he didn't know the answer to.

The Gerudo lead him to the smaller meeting room, the one used only in times of war and where privacy was definitely required. Thinking about it, the young wizard supposed that it was also a kind of symbolic declaration of war on the bigger man's part. Nonetheless, the two entered wordlessly into the room. Ganondorf closed the door behind them.

"What do you wish to speak of, Lord Dragmire?" Quinn asked politely. He made sure to keep the distance between him and the Gerudo significant, but not so much as to be rude.

"You can drop the formalities." Said Dragmire dryly, his expression turning into one of utter boredom. He reached into his pocket and pulled something out. Dragmire then threw it on the table.

The wizard tensed as he saw the object was his amulet.

"It has your magic all over it." The dark man continued. "Care to explain or is it safe to assume that you're working against me?"

There was no use in playing dumb. "The latter. I can't say I like the idea of a man who's killing the king being the next king."

Dragmire sighed tiredly, as if attempting to appear pitiful. "Quinn, it's safe to say that we don't like each other. It's also safe to say that I'm ambitious and you don't seem to like that. Normally, I would ignore it but your meddling," he walked over to where the amulet was on the table and tapped on it, "Proved to be very annoying."

The wizard did not like where this was going. He gripped his staff tightly. He may not have been able to cast a decent self-defense spell but he knew how to use a staff.

The dark man smiled a cruel smile. "It seems you've figured out that I can't have you interfering any further."

There wasn't that much time. The bad feeling Quinn had been having since morning was obviously warning him of this very moment. He was all the way in the back of the small meeting room. To his right was a table and chairs, directly in front of him was Dragmire.

He grabbed a chair and half-dragged, half-threw it at the Gerudo king. The wizard wasted no time sliding under the table and going to the other side of the room. Scrambling up and making a run for the door, he could hear Dragmire laughing. When Quinn was three inches from the door, unseeable force dragged him back. Feet still on the ground, he turned his heel and caused himself to twirl around. Staff at the ready, he attempted to strike a blow but was disrupted when the dragging sped up suddenly. Before he could react to it, Dragmire struck him in his arm and caused him to release his staff. Grabbing the same arm, he dragged the wizard towards him.

Time seemed to freeze afterwards.

Quinn felt something strike him in the chest… in his heart. A pain that throbbed each time his heart pumped. He might've screamed, he might've coughed… whatever happened, he tasted blood in his mouth.

He heard the door to the meeting room open and he heard Anya's voice. "You called Lord Dra-… Quinn!"

"Ah, perfect timing, Anya!" Said Ganondorf cheerily. He took the knife from Quinn's body and let the wizard fall to the floor. "Just in time to catch your beloved's last moments."

Anya automatically ran to where Quinn fell. She turned him over, seeing that he was still alive but bleeding…. Bleeding so much… She attempted to put pressure on his wound, despite knowing the knife had pierced his heart. "Quinn… Quinn, you can't die…" Even her whisper was shaky and weak.

"Anya…" Quinn mumbled.

"No, Quinn… please don't talk…" She told him, still weak in her voice.

The dying wizard had an annoyed expression. Using possibly the last of strength, he grabbed her head and forced her down near him. Four words… he whispered four words to her… and then he kissed her. And then he fell back and took a final breath.

"Quinn…" Anya whimpered with bloody lips as the tears started to flood onto her face. She caressed his cheek with a bloodied hand. But there was no response of course. He lay there, not breathing… his green eyes still open and staring at nothing.

And Dragmire was still there, laughing. "I wonder what he said to you, Anya… Then again, I don't. No doubt nothing important… words of meaningless love." He leaned over her, grinning evilly. "You proved to be quite an asset, dear Anya… probably more to me than you were for him. But I no longer have any use for you, as entertaining as you can be."

She kept her eyes on the dead wizard in her arms.

Ganon stood straight and made for the door. He paused and then turned on his heel. "Isn't it a shame that assassin came and killed poor Quinn? He fought his hardest but… he _was_ a novice wizard at best. We were there, so I assume our stories will match. If they don't, then one of us will certainly be wrong… And it won't be me." He said, not hiding his threatening tone. "Now… I'll inform one of the guards what happened."

And he left.

Anya still remained with Quinn, feeling his body grow colder and colder. She wiped his blood off her hands and then closed his eyes.

_Quinn… I… I never had the chance to tell you…_ That was the prime thought in her mind. She wondered what his reaction would've been if he had known… Because Quinn oblivious to it until the end. Dragmire had thought those four words he whispered to her were words of love… But that couldn't have been more wrong. The kiss was only to make it seem like that.

In actuality, Quinn's last words had been "Desk and Eugen's nephew."

* * *

The king could not attend the funeral, as his condition had suddenly worsened. Since it was a person of high status who had died, the turn out was large. Anya had many come up to her, offer their condolences… Why did they come to her? Was it so obvious to everyone that she had loved him? Or was it because she was the only one that had been close to him? Most likely the latter…

Anya the whore couldn't love anyone, after all.

In her heavy black dressings, she walked to the casket. People seemed to immediately clear the way for her. She stared once again at the lifeless body of the man she loved. He was in the finest garb of a royal wizard she had ever seen on him. He was so pale… and he had never had the chance to cut his hair. She parted the red bangs on the lifeless forehead and felt the tears start to flow again. He looked almost as if he was sleeping… And it was in death that he looked like a man…

She took one last look at him and then went back to her seat. Despite the tear streaks on her face, she appeared as stoic as ever. In her sleeves, her hands were clenched into fists. The time for sadness was over… the tie for rage had come.

Observing her stoic appearance, Carolus whispered to Eugen, "Anya must be stricken with such grief… I've never seen her look so empty."

Eugen, smiling broadly despite the occasion, merely adjusted his glasses. "I don't know what you're seeing, Carolus. Now that I have my glasses on and can actually _see_, I see a woman scorned."

"If you're so blind, how do you walk around the castle with such ease without them?" The horse-faced province holder asked bitterly. Then he continued, "If anything they're making you blinder than you claim to be. Anya is obviously upset! Look at her!"

Eugen adjusted his glasses again, but his smile seemed to shift a bit… It was a knowing smile. "But I am looking at her, and I _do_ see an upset woman but…"

"But?"

With his knowing smile, the short blond looked up to Carolus. "I thought you would know." His glasses seemed to flash in the light. "No one upsets Anya."

* * *

QUINN IS DEAD. SAD FACE.

In all seriousness, yes I am sad. I really liked Quinn. I'd reuse him in one of my original stories but alas... I don't know where I could possibly stick him. So for now, he wanders around my head with a halo. D:

Also, Eugen is about to be a very important character (andyeswe'llgetintotheglassesthingsodon'taskbutyou'reprobablystillgoingtoaskbecausethelackofspacesmakespeoplewanttonotreadthis).


	32. Reunited

Damn. I'm disturbing flattered by the reception of the last chapter. Disturbed because I feel flattered after I killed a character. Flattered because one of my original characters was liked so much that people became genuinely upset at his death. Thank you **fleets** and **Legend of Zelda 4 Life**. I'm not sure whether that thanks should be said peppily or grimly. D:

Anyways: _**This is Saturday's update.**_ I won't be around this weekend because of an anime convention. I'm to nerd around with my fellow nerds.

Also, sorry for not updating any earlier too. I've had plenty of time to type out this chapter and probably dish out a few more updates since I;ve gotten over my MapleStory phase, but it seems that a certain Goblin King played by a certain awesome rock star in a glitterific 80s movie seems to have me delighted to no end. Even as we speak, I'm searching online for a copy of the out-of-print novelization of that very movie. And if you have ANY idea what I'm talking about, you win the internet.

* * *

Zelda was going to meet the witches Koume and Kotake that day – night to be accurate, actually – and she wasn't sure how much of a good thing that was. All the Gerudo who were friendly enough to her revered the two, but she had the feeling that a good portion of that respect was from fear. That meant they were pretty powerful, how much she couldn't say. So the thought of meeting them was terrifying to her, a witch with sealed powers.

What if they had no patience? And what would happen when they found out she had no magic to use at the moment? Would they figure out her soul-bond with Vega?

Fidgeting as she paced around the Fortress, she knew that she had to escape with both Link and Vega before she went to go see the witches. There was just too much risk involved in meeting with the witches.

Luckily, Zelda knew just where Link was _and_ where Vega was.

After an extensive amount of time of following the soul-bond, she managed to find a building which her Gerudo guard didn't seem to like her getting near. A little more investigation around it and she had come to the conclusion that was where the star was. She had asked questions of other Gerudo what that place was and what kind of people went in there. Since she had heard that Vega had royally pissed off the very witches she was to meet, he was placed in the high security cellblock.

She found it. All she needed now was a plan so they all could escape before night came.

Now if only she could tell Link…

… Who was busy finishing up his escape plan in his mind. The page had come to the conclusion that he had no choice but to try and charge out. He could only hope there would be no interference from the other prisoners and that any Gerudo he encountered were completely incompetent when it came to fighting in enclosed spaces. The chances of either of those happening were low, but it was a chance he had to take.

The _real_ problem, however, was getting out of the cell. His cell proved to be very solid with no weaknesses and the keys were at the very end of the hall with the guard there. That guard did not make rounds through the cellblock, nor did she get close to any of the cells unless ordered to let a prisoner out. The cells weren't even opened when they were fed. All food was squeezed through the bars. As such, Link's diet consisted of stale bread and dirty water in a small cup. Not satisfying but better than nothing… he only hoped his stamina wouldn't deteriorate from it because he needed it for his escape… whenever that would be.

He sighed and fiddled with his cup that once contained the muddy water they were supplied. It was a simple, crappily made cup with a small handle. It was probably made of tin or some other weak metal, so the actual cup itself had many imperfections. He pulled a bit on the handle and winced as it broke off without much trouble.

Link frowned, wondering if his captors would use that as an excuse to get angry at him.

Well… he better not draw any attention to it just like he was pretending his sword wasn't in the small haystack.

_Maybe I can stick it back on?_ He thought.

He took the handle and tried to place back on the cup. Letting it hang for a moment, he smirked in satisfaction until the handle promptly fell on his boot. He attempted again only to meet with the same result. Getting frustrated, he set the cup down and angrily squeezed at the handle. He didn't hang onto the handle for long, though, as it started to make his palm feel very raw through the glove. Twiddling it in his fingers, he considered throwing it at the prisoner in the cell across from him. The man probably deserved it but…

But the one-handle of the little cup gave him an idea. Being a weak metal it was easily malleable. He could make a makeshift key! It would probably be good for only one use, but if he could shift it into a key-like form, it might be enough to pick the lock! To use it he would need a diversion, though…

Shaking his head, he would think about that later. He would just make it up as he went along. So he began to warp and bend the soft metal into the form of a key.

As he finished, it was like if Fate was on his side, Link heard the clanking of iron door that was the entrance to the prison. Peering as much as he could down the hall from his cell, he saw that the Gerudo were changing guards. Quickly he stuck his makeshift key into the lock of his cell. Really wishing he could actually see the lock, he shifted the key in the lock, hoping for something.

"Oi, oi, wotcha doin?"

"He 'tempting to make a run for it?"

"What's he sticking in that lock?"

Were some questions Link was hearing but ignoring. As long as the guards weren't noticing yet…

_Cla-clack!_

The cell door slid open a little. Grinning broadly in triumph, he quickly went over and grabbed his sword before yanking the door completely open and rushing down the hall.

The guard at the front of the hallway noticed immediately. "Someone's out!" The guards that were there began to charge at him.

The page smirked. _I won't underestimate you this time!_

The Gerudo, as he suspected, could only come at him one at a time. The first held a spear, leaving him at a disadvantage. But the hall wasn't that big. And in a show of support for his escape, one of the prisoners grabbed the shaft of the spear through his bars. This left the woman flabbergasted enough for Link to disarm her, punch her in the gut, and throw her down roughly.

Immediately after her, another woman came immediately at him. This one was armed with a sword, putting him and her at an even playing field. But she was sloppy, leaving herself with many openings. She thrust forward, he sidestepped quickly used the flat of his blade to whip her on the side – he still wasn't keen on the idea of causing a woman to bleed. Squealing, she turned on her heel and tried to slash again, but there wasn't that much room to do so. The page grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her; he held back a wince as he heard a crack and he scream, realizing that he had just broken her arm.

He heard footsteps behind him; the last Gerudo no doubt about to literally stab him in the back. The time, Link turned quickly around and then through the Gerudo he was holding at his next assailant. Taking the other woman by surprise, both girls toppled down on the floor.

Link wasted no time leaping over them and running out the door. The sun beamed down brightly, forcing him to close his eyes tightly for a moment. He hadn't seen daylight in a while… He forced his eyes open when he heard the scuffling from the guards in the prison. He yanked the door closed and threw down the wooden bar on the outside of it. That lock would only keep temporarily…

Looking around he saw the area was devoid of Gerudo guards, probably because they slept during the day. But there was no time to think about how extremely lucky he was. He ran behind the building and sidled his way by it. Reached the corner, he peered around seeing the coast was clear except…

… For a girl in dark blue with a witch's hat? Zelda?

"Zelda!" He cried out in a hushed whisper.

The witch forked an eyebrow and looked around when she heard name whispered again. Her eyes widened when she saw Link peering around the men's cellblock. He got out?! She had just been planning to attempt to break him out but… apparently, he didn't need the help…

Before going over, she looked both ways to make sure no one was around and that her secret guard wasn't peering in the shadows. Satisfied, she rushed over.

"Link what are you - why do you have your sword?!"

"Ah, never mind that!" The page said while quickly pulling Zelda behind the building with him. Looking around, his gaze rested on the gates that led out into the desert. "We need to get out… now. The guards won't let me escape so easily." Biting his lip, he looked around the area while muttering, "We might not be able to get Vega…"

"Wait!" Zelda interrupted his train of thought. "I know where he is! He's not far; we can get him!"

The collared page looked down at her in surprise, then his expression became serious and he nodded. "Lead the way."

Nodding back, she smiled proudly and looked both ways before heading back out into the open. Of course, her wrist was firmly wrapped around Link's wrist, forcing him to follow closely. Perhaps if he hadn't noticed her prettiness before they were captured, he wouldn't be so nervous about her grip at the moment. He did his best to leave it in the back of his mind and easily managed to keep up with the shorter girl's pace when his mind was focused on where they were going.

Zelda had stopped in front of a building that resembled the cellblock he had just been in - at least outwardly. The building did a look a bit wider and a bit more menacing than where he had been, though. Whatever it was, he was surprised that it didn't have more security on the outside.

The witch gestured for him to go around to the far side of the door. He understood the plan and unsheathed his sword. Zelda knocked on the door and it opened a crack.

"What do you want? You don't look familiar." Snapped the guard behind the door.

Without thinking much on what she was going to say, she said, "I'm new. I was sent here by… by Mistresses Koume and Kotake." She hoped she sounded convincing enough. "I'm the new witch!"

The one visible golden eye of the Gerudo guard narrowed. "What did they send you here for?"

_This_ she could think of something easily enough to say. "They wanted to me to check on the seals on the star." She ignored Link's incredulous look.

The Gerudo seemed to believe that was a good reason and opened the door wider. As soon as there was enough space, Link wasted no time using the butt of his sword to ram the guard's head. Without a word, the guard flopped onto the floor. Both witch and page charged in the cellblock, surprised to see that she had been the only guard present.

"Lax security…" Link commented.

Then, behind an iron door to the right, they heard a muffled voice say "Bender?"

The witch happily went to the door and with a big grin exclaimed, "Vega! That's you, right?"

Chains rattled from behind the door. "Ducky?!"

The witch retained a squeal of delight. She could feel it… Vega… he was happy to hear them! "Vega, we're going to let you out!"

Despite retained the squeal, Link could still see the happiness as Zelda looked around for the keys. And he was kind of jealous. Muttering profanities under his breath, he glanced to the side and grabbed the keys hanging off of a nail. Then he walked over to the iron door and unlocked it while Zelda was busily searching in the opposite direction. The door clanked as it unlocked, catching the witch's attention.

"Oh, you found them!"

Link ignored her and pushed open the door.

Standing in the cell that was much smaller than Link's old one, was a stunned looking Vega… with significantly shorter hair. And all of a sudden, he remembered a black haired ranger that passed by him in Castle Town.

Perhaps sensing that, the star smirked. "Hello, Nancy boy."

Before Link could begin an interrogation, however, Zelda came running in and hugged the chained star. Both of the men were shocked.

"Vega! You're alright!" She cried happily.

Vega felt the happiness surge through him and as much as he wanted to smile and hug her back, he realized something: He didn't like either of these sods. The star pushed her off. "I'm just peachy! What are you idiots doing here?" He told them irately.

Frowning from the anger fueling Vega, Zelda jabbed him roughly with a finger. "Looking for _you_!"

"I never asked to be looked for!" He said, jabbing her back. "I ran away for a reason!"

"And look what it did for you," Link put in smugly. "I have to say, the chains really go with your shorter hair."

More anger flared in Vega, but Zelda quickly came in between both men, trying to ignore the shared emotions with Vega. "Now's not the time. Link, give me the keys."

Grunting the page handed her the keys. Smiling satisfactorily, she went and removed Vega's chains. The star wrung his wrists and stomped around, getting his joints back into their normal comfort zone. He looked to both the witch and the page and frowned. "Well, sorry to say but I'm no use to you two."

"Yes," Link said, suddenly remembering Zelda's mention of seals. "What was that about?"

"A spot of bad luck that can be explained later." Vega staid nonchalantly. "As much I hate to associate myself with you two, I suggest we take our leave before anyone notices us here chatting the time away."

"Point…" Zelda mumbled. "But how? We still have to get past the gates…"

"And I can't let you do that."

All three looked towards the entrance of the cell. All three recognized her, but Vega was the only one who knew the name of the bruised Gerudo.

"Nabooru…"

The woman's eyes were narrowed into feral slits as she pointed her sword at them. "I can't let you three leave."

Vega stepped up and bowed cordially to her. "I am sorry, Nabooru. But the Fate of these two cannot be denied." He stood straight, holding himself in a way that none of the others had ever seen. The star had always been somewhat arrogant in the eyes of Zelda and Link, but this time his arrogance didn't seem like true arrogance… It was pride, because he had every reason to think himself above them despite the fact his magic was sealed. And just thinking of that sent shivers up the backs of the two younger people in the room.

Nabooru, however, did not seemed to be phased at all. She stepped forward, about to attack…

… But a tear of nothingness appeared from behind the star, the witch, and the page. Nabooru paused and stared in flabbergasted terror at the strange nothingness. Zelda and Link turned on their heels, and Zelda found herself screaming at the things she could _sense_ from within the black nothingness. Link held his own sword at the ready but Vega then told them, "They won't harm us." _Not at the moment, anyway._ His expression then went from the earned arrogance to sympathy towards Nabooru. "I really am sorry I've caused so much trouble. But if everyone treats you like crap, you could always try what I did: run."

And then, the long, spindly and creepy arms of the creatures of the Abyss reached out for the three. Zelda and Link struggled and screamed, not wanting to be drawn into the darkness, but the star went without a fight. The blackness enclosed around them and then they were let go. Zelda and Link screamed, not seeing any floor beneath them and thinking they were going to fall into never ending darkness…

But they both fell roughly on something hard, landing on their hands and knees. Vega, however, seemed to be familiar with this as he landed on his feet without any sign of stress whatsoever.

An ever-changing, creepy chuckle rang throughout the darkness. Nothing could be seen. Zelda found herself inching towards Link. Whatever the chuckle was, it was scaring her half to death. And then, slowly appearing in the darkness was a heavily veiled figure. All three could feel a malicious smile behind the veil.

"Kekeke, I'm repaying my debt, dear Vega. Do listen closely."

* * *

OH MAI. Did you think the Time Spinner would have just left him like that? Well, yes... Yes, it would've done that, but it does have a sense of honor, albeit a very warped one. It does feel it necessary to repay any debts.

Welp. That's all I have to say.


	33. Secret Plans

You know, I am seriously considering just to change the update day back to Thursday since that seems to be the day I've been updating lately. Eh, whatever. You may or may not have an update Saturday.

I wouldn't get your hopes up.

Oh yes! **Legend of Zelda 4 Life**, Vega would like me to relay to you that he thinks you are a "cheeky duffer" for assuming that Zelda was the first girl ever to hug him. But you're welcome to ignore his insult. :D Time Spinner, on the other hand, seems to be quite glad to see its garnered a small fan base within such a short time of its creation and thanks you for being happy to see it again. XD

* * *

Darkness… They were surrounded in pure blackness. But things moved in the blackness behind the veiled figure before them. Things that one didn't need a magical sense to know were malicious and bloodthirsty… And if creatures so wicked weren't attacking them because the veiled creature with the ridiculously long, white hair was between them…

"What the hell is that thing?!" Link choked out. He was gripped his sword tightly in one hand and holding Zelda with the other. He was so focused on trying to figure out what the veiled creature's intentions were, he didn't even think of how protective he was being of the witch in his arm.

The creature said nothing, allowing Vega to explain. "This is the Time Spinner; a creature whose power rivals that of the goddesses. A High Immortal, and one who owes me a debt."

"Kekeke, indeed… and I'm repaying it." Said the Time Spinner.

"Time Spinner… I've never heard of him…" Zelda mumbled. "Or her… or High Immortals…"

"You wouldn't know of me or my brethren, child." Said the Spinner in an amused hissing voice. "We prefer privacy."

Zelda shuddered as it spoke, and not because of the creepy voice it was using. Even Link shuddered. As both their eyes adjusted into the darkness, they could see things moving around behind the Time Spinner's flowing robes. Things with evil little grins and beady little eyes that were as black as the Abyss they were in. Tentacles, claws, fur, all moving around and fiddling behind their master, waiting to be let free…

"Name the conditions on which we are allowed to pass through your Abyss." Vega said to the Time Spinner in his most professional tone.

They could feel the smugness coming from the Time Spinner. "As I am indebted to you, young star, you will have safe passage. None of my creatures will harm you," _Though it would be so much more interesting if I _did_ let them._ "You will have a guide that will take through my Abyss safely." _But where is the fun in the journey without danger?_ "Follow the guide faithfully, no matter how dangerous the path may seem." _Ah, and my poor pets… What will entertain them?_ "Always listen to the guide. Always." _There has to be a way to let my pets have a little fun…_

The Time Spinner's lips curled upwardly in an evil fashion, glad that its guests could not see under its veil. They would be safe within the Abyss… but anything out of the Abyss was just an unfortunate accident, wasn't it? They wouldn't be killed, of course - Fate wouldn't allow it. But instilling fear and causing trouble to the lower creatures was much too fun!

"Skull Kid," the Immortal summoned with a twitch of its claw.

From the moving shadows behind it, a small scarecrow-like figure jumped out and stood at a gawky attention. Though, it wasn't a serious kind of attention but a sort of mockery of it. Even as it saluted to the Immortal, it twitched and giggled childishly. Skull Kid seemed an accurate name for it, as the face it had looked very much like a grinning skull. But where empty sockets should have been, yellow-orange spots of light shone brightly. Looking at it, it almost seemed like a broken puppet without any strings… and one that had a hard time sitting still.

In a deep, warbly voice Time Spinner continued, "Skull Kid, you'll be their guide." The much taller creature kneeled down to be at the level of its subordinate. It lifted a kindly claw up and then spoke like a mother to a child, along with a voice to match, "Make sure to take them through the safe ways –" and then, speaking in a pitch that could only be caught by the ears of the creatures of the Abyss, it added another order.

The little scarecrow jittered excitedly and nodded just as fast as its jitters. "Yes, Master Spinner!" And then it skipped happily past the three humanoids as a strange flute appeared in its hands and it began to play a jumpy tune.

A creepy laugh escaped from the Time Spinner as it stood up straight again and began to fade into the darkness. "I've also released the seal on your magic – and if adding that on top of everything else doesn't repay my debt then you are much too picky, dear Vega." It cackled devilishly, even when there was nothing to be seen except for the hordes of creatures that so desperately wanted to tear these new visitors apart. "best you start following, Skull Kid. He _will_ leave you behind, if you allow him."

Vega turned on his heel and looked down at the two on the floor. "Come on. Get up now. We've got a ways to go."

Both nodded before realizing how close they were. Their faces becoming extremely red, they scrambled away from each other and tried to get up as if nothing had happened. As they did so, Vega felt something pierce through his head. Not literally of course, but it was enough to make him double-take at Link and Zelda and take great notice of their attitudes towards each other.

_What happened while I was gone?!_

"Hey! You're taking so _looong!_" The Skull Kid whined.

"Put a sock in it!" Snarled the star to the scarecrow, which just happily went back to playing his little song.

The three then followed the scarecrow into what seemed to be the never ending darkness. Link wondering why he held so tightly to Zelda; Zelda wondering why she'd been so embarrassed to be so near Link; and Vega cursing Zelda for his chronic headaches.

* * *

Down the corridors Anya walked, still dressed in black and papers tucked under her sleeve. She had taken it upon herself to rid her wardrobe of anything that wasn't black. Perhaps one day she would move on, but at the moment she didn't even want to consider it. As long as Dragmire lived, there would only ever be one thing on her mind: revenge. There was too much rage and sadness for her to truly think clearly.

And it was for that reason she knew needed help. And she knew where she could find this help. And she was no in front of his door.

She knocked.

The door opened, and bright blue eyes and a silly grin looked right up at her. "Anya! What a surprise!"

"Eugen," she nodded. "Are you going to invite me in?"

The man-child considered it and then said, "Why should I?"

She smiled sadly and tiredly. "It's strictly business."

Finally, the short man shrugged and opened the door more, allowing the woman to enter. His room was much like hers, except a more masculine version. There was a small study space in one room – the one that was first entered - and the actual bed chambers in the other room. She didn't see the latter, though, because the door was closed. That was fine. She had no intention of seeing it and she knew Eugen had no interest in her.

He pulled an extra chair out for her by the desk and then went to his own chair. The desk was a little cluttered with what looked like machinery. She could see that Eugen had been working on constructing something, but whatever the main bulk of that "something" it was in a drawer. The glasses that Eugen needed, but hardly ever wore, were resting on an old and weathered book before he took them and slipped them on. The blond then put his hands together professionally and he asked her, still with a broad grin on his ever happy face, "What brings you here?"

The woman decided to be as direct as possible. "You. I need your help."

Cocking his head to the side, but still with his annoying smile, he said. "And why would you need my help?"

"You have more information then I could ever hope to gain by using my normal methods." She stated.

"And what makes you think that?"

"It's my understanding that the Sheikah are the king's elite spy network."

The glasses flashed. The grin on Eugen's face remained but seemed a bit more… intimidating. "Sheikah? Now what would make you think that bumbling little me is a Sheikah?"

She bared her own teeth at him with an equally intimidating smile of her own. "I figured it out on my own. A simpleton that's obviously smarter than he look; that's blind as a keese but doesn't need his glasses to find his way or identify a person. Any person who was looking for it would notice _except_ that Sheikah don't take public positions. You must be an exception to that exception, however."

The threatening air around him lessened. "You really are as smart as they say!" His stupid little grin had returned. "To be honest, I never really thought much of you beyond being a complete slut!"

Once upon a time, that might have hit a nerve but it didn't bother Anya this time. Instead, she smiled pleasantly. "As with you, looks can be deceiving."

"Yep. Unfortunately, I'm not so sure how good this knowledge is for you. Unless you have anything of interest to me – which I'm sure you don't – I can't allow you to leave remembering any of this."

"But I _do_ have something of interest for you." Anya assured tranquilly. It was then that she placed the papers she had carried with her onto Eugen's desk. "You can take your time looking through them… but I would like them back."

The blonde's glasses flashed and his intimidating smile returned. He took the papers and skimmed them over. As Eugen flipped through each page, his eyebrows twisted more and more downwards and a little bit of his smile seemed to have dropped until his mouth was nothing but a straight line plastered upon his face. When done scanning over the papers, he set them down – not far enough to say he was finished with them, but far enough to signify he was done looking at them for the moment.

"Quinn's handwriting." Eugen commented.

She nodded. "I believe you've heard from Dragmire that I was there during his final moments…" She paused, as if expecting Eugen to inquire about. Upon his silence following her own, she continued. "In his dying breaths, he gave me a message meant only for my ears: 'Desk and Eugen's nephew.' I found those papers in a hidden compartment in his desk. Your nephew – who is conveniently not present in the castle – seems to be quite important according to Quinn's writings."

With a sigh, Eugen leaned back into his chair, steepling his fingers on his lap. "Sister dearest did always say he was special. I never could have imagined he was _this_ special, though… and this definitely confirms all that my superiors have been warning of."

"How long have the Sheikah known about Dragmire?" Anya asked sternly.

Eugen, who had seemed to have wandered off to some far off and distant place, snapped back into reality. The dumb smile he normally wore returned and, sitting up straight again, he said brightly "Oh, we've suspected him for a long time. One of ours has always been tailing him since he first arrived, but we've really had no basis on which to convict him of anything!"

"And now?"

"We still can't arrest him nor can we take any other more… extreme… measures."

Frowning, Anya made no attempt to hide any ill feeling she had toward that comment. "And why not? Surely you've managed to figure out that Quinn was murdered by Dragmire!"

"Only one of the reasons we can't do anything." Commented the small man. Before the woman could retaliate, Eugen held up a hand to keep her silent and continued. "I understand your driven by revenge but hear what I have to say. Quinn – may he rest peacefully – found out this plot and was killed promptly after being found out. Also the papers mention a curse on the king… If we Sheikah could not detect this curse, then we are dealing with a warlock that doesn't need to go through so much deliberation to take the throne. He could usurp it if he truly wished to do so, and we shouldn't give him incentive to do so. if we do, he'll kill anyone who gets in his way, and _that_ is a large waste of life that we Sheikah are supposed to _prevent_. And - perhaps the most important reason - it's not in either of our destinies to meddle with the affairs of the Chosen Three."

The Eldin province holder was still not satisfied with that answer. "I will _make _it my destiny to end Dragmire."

"No. Nothing you can do can change that." Eugen sounded very much like a child as he said that. A child that knew he was right and perhaps felt smarter than any adult that would attempt to prove him otherwise.

Anya was about to say some very unladylike things but was only able to open her mouth before the blond continued, "But, we can still make sure that we can make it as difficult as possible for him to succeed the throne – at least until my nephew comes back."

Biting her lip as she mulled it over, Anya finally scowled. "Your nephew is only – what? – sixteen, seventeen? And a _pageboy_! What could he possibly do?"

And once again, Eugen's smile changed, this time going into his creepily all-knowing grin. "He's the holder of Courage. It's his destiny to face Power and defeat it with the help of Wisdom."

A moment of eerie silence later and then Eugen's expression turned thoughtful. Putting a finger to his chin as if to accentuate the thoughtfulness of thoughtful expression, his silly grin returned. Looking more like a child then ever, he cheerily said "Isn't it funny? The legend of the Golden Power always says that Wisdom and Courage overcome Power… I suppose that means Power is meaningless without the Courage and Wisdom to control it! I never really thought about how deep the meaning of the legend was!"

Anya merely frowned.

* * *

You know, I'm really happy that I am now this far into the story. Why? One, because there's copious amounts of Eugen being an ominous bastard. Two, because Vega will start being less of an asshat from now on! Yes! That's right! He's going to lighten up! You know, in his original story, he wasn't nearly this much of a wangsty pain in the arse. But then again, his past in his original story was radically different. Nonetheless, I will enjoy purging him of ANGST and EMO in future chapters. Because ANGST and EMO belong to Raziel (who is another character of mine that none of you need concern yourselves with).


	34. The Styx

Thursday seems to have become the magical day... Nonetheless, all I can tell you guys is that you'll still be getting updates once a week. Expect twords the end of the week on days Thursday through Saturday.

**Legend of Zelda 4 Life**: Oh, Time Spinner _is_ a deceitful cheater! And it doesn't care. it likes being an ass. XD Oh... and bad memories about Skull Kid will be returning within the next few chapters...

**Lupi Loop:** Glad you're enjoying it! And Vega won't lose his sarcasm, that I can guarantee. I said he'd be less of an asshat, that doesn't mean he'll drop it completely XD

**GreenTriforceLuvr:** Thank you. :D

* * *

Had Skull Kid not been playing his upbeat tune on his flute, the darkness all around them would have proved to be very silent. Before, it had seemed as if things watched them as they passed… now it felt more like nothingness. And nothing was in the nothingness. The place was not necessarily dark, for they could see in front of themselves well enough. It was just black. Empty blackness that just seemed to go on and on. Link and Zelda honestly had a hard time imagining that they were going anywhere!

But Zelda couldn't take it. She had to ask. "What _is_ this place?"

"The Abyss." Replied Vega plainly.

"That's great. It doesn't tell us anything." Link snapped.

The silvertop shrugged, smirking a bit. "What's there to tell? It's the Abyss."

"Tch." Link was getting really pissed off. He and Zelda had gone through the desert and released him from chains and he was still so sarcastic and belligerent! He was about to same some very nasty things before Zelda stepped in.

"Vega, we're not as well-versed in this sort of thing as you are." She pointed out. "You know what the Abyss is, but we don't an-"

"And you really don't want to know." Vega interrupted. Facing them both, his expression was stern and angered. Waving an arm out, he said "Take a quick dekko around and you can see that aside from our fidgety friend ahead of us, there's nothing. Except for the times when there's something. Then we need to be afraid. There? Is that explanation enough for you?"

This time, before Zelda could retaliate with Vega's own anger, Link stepped in. Rather than using words, though, he just charged up and punched the star being square in the face.

A muffled, "_FUCK!_" rang out throughout the Abyss from Vega. He was now crouched down in pain with both hands putting pressure on a bloody nose. Of course, he didn't forget to glare at the page standing over him.

"Link!" Zelda screeched. "Why did you… He's bleeding!" She knelt down by the star and attempted to get him to let go of his nose. He merely snarled and pushed her away.

"Oh come _on_, Zelda!" Link said irritated. "He had that coming to him! From the moment we encountered him in Kakariko he hasn't shown us an ounce of respect! Even after we took him out of chains…" He couldn't finish because he suddenly had an overwhelming urge to spit on the man before him.

Zelda, seeing that no matter how hard she tried to help she was going to be rejected, stood and faced Link. "He's still our only hope. We need that wish."

Laughter. Vega laughed. But it was a bitter laugh, interrupted with the occasional wince and "ow". Both Link and Zelda just stared at him confusedly. After a moment, the star stood again and put his nose back in place with a sickening crackling sound. Face still bloodied, he looked upon his to companions with the most pitiful look that either had seen.

"And you wonder why I don't like you." He said it quietly and sadly. "Up in Heaven I was a star with mud-colored eyes and thrown out for it. Down here I'm only a conduit through which to grant wishes… No one ever gives a thought to the actual person, do they?" With one more bitter chuckle he added, "And here I thought that humans may have been more open."

Without another word, Vega turned away and once again began to follow the Skull Kid (who had been impatiently waiting for them to finish their little argument).

Zelda was despairing. She hid it, as she didn't want Link to know. The despair wasn't hers, however. It was all Vega. The depression, the sadness, the anger, it was all him. And feeling all this made her feel extremely guilty. After all, Vega had a point. She certainly hadn't given much thought to the star as anything more than magical creature that could grant wishes. Despite the fact that she shared his emotions, she really didn't see him as a person. Just a goal.

Link said nothing, not sure if he should feel guilty or not. Eventually, the prior came over him as he and the witch followed the star. There was no regret for punching Vega, as he was still sure that the star _did_ deserve it… but much like Zelda, he never once gave a thought to the star as a person. And that just made him feel worse since he could relate to Vega's situation. All his life he was never seen as just Link. All his life he was Link, the son of the great swordsman Lancast. Vega was a star, just seen as a wish granting machine… and from what he had heard of Heaven, the star wasn't very well accepted there… and just for having brown eyes?

The witch quickened her pace and went next to Vega, who didn't seem to notice her. "Let us be your friends!" She said it cheerfully, but the shared sadness in her voice was still thick in the question.

Her plea for friendship was ignored. Vega just walked on ahead. But Zelda could feel the puzzlement going on inside of him at her question, the doubt and suspicion… and a small tang of bitterness. It was at that moment she wished she could hear the bits and pieces of his thoughts again…

But Vega was glad that she couldn't see those small glimpses into his mind. No one had ever asked to be his friend… But at the same time she had only asked because he went ahead and blurted out his sob story – something which he was deeply regretting now. His past was no one's business but his own. Yet it still confused him. As Link had so subtly mentioned, he hadn't even pretended to like either of the two teenagers. Why on earth would she want to befriend him? Just on the off-chance he would grant a wish?

And what was the point of it all?! Why did the fate of one dying man mean so much? The two didn't really know this person… why wish to save him? So what if someone not of royal blood didn't take over… In fact, he didn't really understand this human condition at all. Stars actually didn't really have that much in way of emotion. He and his sister were some of the more openly expressive stars. Other stars were pretty much shut in creatures with nothing better to do than look down upon humans or other stars that were… different… This will that humans had to break their back for people they didn't even know was beyond his understanding.

Disheartened, Zelda paused and but her lip. They shared emotions, so why couldn't he tell that she was sincere? She felt Link's hand on her shoulder, as well as her heart jumping into her throat.

"Don't let him get to you. Who needs to be friends with him anyways?" It was a weak attempt at trying to make her feel better, but he was trying at least.

Apparently, it was more than just a weak attempt. Zelda just looked at him blankly before her lips twitched into a small frown. Before Link even knew what was going on, he was on four legs, furry, and overcome with the sudden urge to lick places he wouldn't normally think of licking. When it finally occurred to him to be angry, Zelda was already gloomily walking ahead so all Link did was bark in protest.

"_This is overreacting, woman!_" He snarled as he sped up to catch up with the witch and star.

But his newly enhanced sense of smell kicked in and he came to a complete stop. He barked weakly and dug his snout in the black floor before remembering that he had to move on. If he thought the Abyss was unnerving as a human, as a wolf it was worse… The place reeked of death. Not decaying bodies, but actual _death_.

No longer angry at Zelda, he went to her side. He felt he needed to stay near her in this place… He wished he could use the excuse that it was to protect her, but actually it was for his own comfort. At least as a human he was ignorant of what lay in wait within the Abyss… Now as a wolf he was all too aware of the things that wanted their blood… Things that they thought had left them alone but were secretly following them.

In fact… Link actually found himself not caring about what company he was in so long as he got out of there. Lonely asshole star, crazy-but-cute feminist witch, twitchy scarecrow kid – it didn't matter anymore. He just hoped that very last one was a good enough guide to get them the hell out of there as quickly as possible.

After what felt like hours and hours of walking - and may have been since time was indeterminate in this place – the Skull Kid ceased playing his flute as they neared what seemed to be a white river.

It was a very strange sight to see just a river of white in such blackness. It wasn't truly a river, as the whiteness that made it up wasn't water. Neither Link nor Zelda, nor even Vega, knew what the whiteness was. But it rushed past at amazing speed and almost did kind of look like water… just minus any splashing. Stranger yet about this not-quite river was that it seemed to call out to any near it. There was no voice, but there was a certain pull to it. It was like a mother tugging at their child's sleeve, gently urging them to come forward. That wherever the river led to, it was a safe place.

Zelda took a small step forward.

"Heehee, I wouldn't do that if I were you." Said the Skull Kid. It seemed to be watching them curiously. "That's the Styx!"

"The Styx…?" Because the influence of the river was still there, Zelda's voice came out weakly. "As in… Death?"

Skull Kid nodded cheerily. "Yep. Didn't you know? Master Spinner is the second eldest of Death's children. Spinner lets Death use part of the Abyss for the Styx. Bit I promised Spinner that no harm would come to you-" _At least not right now._ "-so we have to go around it."

Vega frowned and looked left, then right. "How are we supposed to do that?"

The Skull Kid giggled and then put the flute by its mouth. It took a deep breath and then finally blew into the flute. The flute made a sound completely different from the notes it had been making before. This time, the noise that came out of it was buzzy and high and very, _very_ annoying – especially to Link with his wolf ears.

A full thirty seconds passed of the annoying flute buzz before a grey medium sized boat seemed to shamble by and stop a few feet away. It remained perfectly still despite the whiteness rushing beneath it.

Skull Kid giggled and then hopped up into the boat, sitting near the boat's driver. Vega wasted no time getting up into the boat, either, but he did give the driver a strange look. It was that look that made Link and Zelda rather hesitant to get on board. After a deep breath and fist clenching, the witch did manage to gather her courage and climb onto the boat – careful not to touch the whiteness of the river. Link followed her.

As soon as they got on board, they immediately saw why Vega would give a strange look to the driver. It was a man – a human man. Or at least he was… It was obvious the man was still alive, but he was so thin that his bones could easily be made out; even through the rags he was wearing. His face had probably once been handsome, not it was hollow and sallow. The eyes were red-rimmed, bloodshot and empty, just staring ahead of the river.

After a moment, the man resumed guiding the boat onwards. Link and Vega were making it a point not to look at the driver anymore than they had to. And they didn't have to, so they weren't looking at him at all. Zelda, however, was disturbingly fascinated by the man. She couldn't seem to stop staring at him.

Eventually, she looked down at the Skull Kid - who had been staring at her - and asked, "What's wrong with him?"

If possible, the little scarecrow's grin went malicious. "He once loved an Immortal – the Spinner's sister to be exact. He became immortal himself because of that."

Zelda grimaced and looked back at the man. "That's what immortality does?"

"Of course not!" Said the Skull Kid as if it was common sense. "With his immortality, he thought he was too good for just one woman and became unfaithful. The Reaper of Retribution wasn't pleased by her husband's actions."

A shudder made its way up Zelda's spine.

Unexpectedly, Vega then spoke. "High Immortals tend to have short tempers."

Glancing behind at the boat driver, Link growled, "_Noticed…_"

"It also means that it would do us good not to upset anything in here." Said Vega sharply.

* * *

You know, I've developed a whole family of dysfunctional High Immortals over the years. It's just NOW that I'm thinking about how impossible it is for Death to reproduce. XD Oh well. And just in case you were wondering, Time Spinner has approximately 15 to 20 siblings, plus its five minutes older sister who was mentioned in this chapter.

I'd hate to go to one of their family reunions, to be honest.


	35. Destinies Revealed

Ah, thanks for being patient guys. I've had this chapter done for a bit but for some reason FFN wasn't letting me log in and then it was giving me problems with uploading the chapter. It was the cause for much frustration and made me want to hurt things. D:

I know I said I'd roll out the chapters from here on out but I probably won't. I know: I'm a dirty liar. D: But the story isn't coming to me as easily as it used to. I've actually strayed very far away from where I originally intended this story to go so I'm kind of winging it and that's harder to do than you think. All I know is how it's going to end - and we've still got a little bit before that comes around.

I'd talk to all of my beloved reviewers today but I honestly don't feel like it. Nonetheless, I still love you my reviewers. I may not pressure people to review but I admit - I like reviews. So those who read and take the time to review: You guys are totally awesome and I love you forever. Your encouragement is what really helps me to keep writing this. :D

* * *

The boat continued onwards on the Styx and no one spoke a word. Even if anyone had anything to say, nothing could be said because the Styx was… well, it was the Styx. As the craft continued, the Styx's white not-water broadened and its current strengthened. It wasn't hard to figure out that their husk of a boat-guide was sitting there looking creepy and the current was doing all the work then. As if the strange river couldn't get creepy enough, shadows seemed to be rising from the white currents. And as the boat kept moving forward, the shapes became more defined: people.

"Dead souls," Vega answered the unasked questions of Link and Zelda. "On their way to their final resting place beyond the Styx."

Both the wolf and the witch shivered and did their best to ignore those walking along the current beside them. But one in particular made Link double-take. Just behind them was a young man… feminine in appearance, a little bit shorter than average, red hair, green eyes… but the eyes were blank. Quinn just kept walking with current.

Link involuntarily barked at him. The next bark was voluntary.

"Link? What's wrong?" Zelda asked.

Vega wasn't concerned at the outburst, however. "Keep quiet!"

But Link kept barking at Quinn. What was he doing there? He couldn't be…? His front paws jumped to the edge of the boat and he began to bark louder. He felt Zelda tugging at his collar, yelling something at him and trying to drag him back within the boat.

"Link! Calm _down_!" Zelda screeched.

As if those were the magic words, Quinn became aware of his surroundings. Blackness… a river a white rushing at his knees. He was dead. His legs kept moving, though he dearly wanted to pause. He put a hand to his heart, feeling his robes intact and no sogginess from blood. The redhead looked up, to find the source of the voice that woke him from his daze. There was a boat ahead of him. There was a driver, who paid no attention to him. And then there were three others. One was a wolf, desperately barking at something – him? And there was a girl holding the wolf's collar, a girl who looked so much like his aunt. And behind her there was a silver-white haired young man, also trying to pull at the wolf's collar.

"Link! Stop barking!" The girl cried.

_Link?_ He thought. Yes… he could see it now. The collar and the eyes… those were the same as Eugen's nephew. The dead wizard smiled sadly at the wolf. "Sorry. He found me out."

The wolf stopped barking when it saw Quinn's mouth move. The wizard was speaking normally, but the boat was a barrier for the dead. But he still heard it just fine, although it sounded like a whisper.

Zelda cocked her head in confusion at the dead man who had spoken to them. Then, to her surprise, he looked at her and said, "Cousin, I wish we could've met while I still lived." And then Quinn faced Vega. "I don't know you, but I know what you are. All I ask is that you help these two. Ganondorf Dragmire is more ruthless than I originally thought. They will need all the help they can get."

And as if on cue, the boat veered to the side – to the shore. Link began to bark again, but Zelda didn't try and shush him this time. Now she was confused.

_Cousin?_ She thought. _What did he mean by that?_

The boat creaked as it bumped to the side of the blackness of the shore. Skull Kid wordlessly jumped out of the boat and waited for the others to follow suit. But its creepy, permanent grin seemed to hold some sort of sense of malicious knowing.

Vega, Zelda, and Link got off the boat. Link went back near the white river and looked for Quinn again, but could not find him. A low growl escaped his maw.

The Skull Kid made to turn off and begin to continue to lead the way, but Vega stopped him. "No. We're not going anywhere until a few things are explained."

Though its expression was incapable of changing, the Skull Kid seemed to pout.

Link turned around and looked up at Vega, who was giving him quite the suspicious look. Zelda joined in, except her look was uneasy more than suspicious.

"Turn him back," Vega said. While it might've sounded like a command, Zelda could feel it was a request and complied.

After the grueling back-to-human transformation, Link stood up groggily while dreading his upcoming interrogation.

"Dead man talking, care to explain it?" The star asked.

"Not particularly." The page said bitterly.

"Please, Link," Zelda started. She was holding her own hands tightly and her expression remained uneasy. "Does this have anything to do with what you did in the city before we left?"

While the page was perfectly capable of telling Vega to shove it, he couldn't to Zelda… Especially not when she had such a depressing look about her. "Yeah…"

"Well?" Snapped Vega impatiently. "Who was that?"

He gave the star a sharp look but answered. "That was Quinn… He is… was… Hyrule's Royal Wizard… Before me and Zelda left to find you, I went and spoke with him. He agreed with me that Dragmire was behind the king's illness and agreed to try and hold off the curse as long as he could…"

"But Dragmire found out…" Zelda finished sadly. Vega remained silent, as if thinking everything through.

Link's hands balled up into fists as he stared down at the black floor. "I didn't know him that well… but knowing that he died just because I asked him to hold off the curse…" He wanted to punch something, to hurt something, to hurt _Dragmire_. If he wasn't so angry, he could swear that the sword on his back was just as angry. He could almost feel it shaking on his back, but that was probably himself from his own anger.

Evidently, he wasn't the only angry one. Vega was angry. Very angry. So angry, that Zelda wanted to kick something for no reason at all. But why would he be so angry. She didn't have to wait long to get an answer.

Cursing very loudly he finally shouted up to where the sky would be if the Abyss had one, "Fine! I guess I'll play along with Fate then! But I won't like it!" Then he glanced over at the two blondes he was traveling with and smirked. "And I'll switch things up a bit."

Both Zelda and Link considered taking a few steps back. Vega turned and faced them.

"Pay attention, kiddies, this'll be on the test." The silvertop said, his smirk still decorating his face.

"What?" Link blurted out.

"Oi, no talking when teacher's talking or you'll never graduate to git, bender." Vega said. He seemed overly satisfied about something and that gave Zelda cause to worry. Before Link could begin his protest, Vega continued. "Power, Wisdom, Courage. Who can tell me what those make up?"

"The Triforce." Zelda answered, puzzled as to why this was being mentioned.

"Right-o, ducky. Both of you being Hylian, you should know the legend behind it."

"Well yes. Every child is taught it from the moment we're born." Link said, holding back threats he might want to point at the star.

"So naturally, you lot know that each part of the Triforce rests within one who best represents their piece best. Who would you say is in possession of the Triforce of Power?"

It seemed to dawn on both blondes at once. "Dragmire!"

"Good. You two aren't as thick as I first thought." He said. Zelda really wished he would drop his spiteful attitude. "Now, here's one I don't think you two will be able to get. Who has the other to pieces of the Triforce?"

And Vega was right about that. They couldn't even begin to guess who possibly have them. They knew the legends… that one was supposed to be female heir of the Hylian throne and the other a descendant of the Hylian knights. But there wasn't any heir to the Hylian throne and tons of people could be descendants of the Hylian knights…

"Tick-tock, time is running out. What? Not one little guess?" Vega said. "It's you two. Ducky, you're Wisdom, and Nancy boy, you're Courage."

"What?!" Came from both of their mouths.

"That's… that's absurd!" Zelda said before Link could interject. "I'm not wise… Smart, but not wise!"

"Isn't that the truth?" Vega drawled. "But it depends on your lineage, not your capabilities… Which doesn't make any sense, but that's not important at the moment."

"No, it is!" Zelda started. "Wisdom has to go to a princess or a queen… I'm none of those things! I'm just a witch!"

And then Link remembered something, completely forgetting his own reasons why he couldn't be holder of Courage. Quinn had called Zelda "cousin". And… there was a woman at the castle a long time ago. He remembered his father speaking of it to his mother. There was something going on with this woman and the king… and the woman was the sister to the Royal Wizard at the time… Quinn's father! Which meant…

"Zelda… You're… You're a princess! You're _the_ prince – ah…" He immediately bowed. "I apologize to any offenses I have done against you, Highness!"

Zelda just stared blankly at the page bowing before her. Princess… but…

"Congratulations, Link. You have graduated from bender to git." Vega said as if he were bored. "But he is right. I'm guessing you're an illegitimate child of the king. Whatever the case, it doesn't matter. You're the holder of Wisdom and there's nothing you can do about it. If you want more proof, then examine the back of your right hand."

The witch bit her lip. She lifted her hand, almost afraid to look. But it would be fine. She'd look at it and there would be nothing there. She peeked at her hand and let out a sigh of relief. Nothing there… at first. After looking at it closely, she saw a faint outline of a triangle… A triangle made of different triangles… and one of them was glowing. The Triforce of Wisdom…

She just stared at her hand blankly. And when she kept staring at her hand blankly, Link looked up at her from his bow. "Is she… is she alright?"

"She's just taking it all in." Vega said, trying to ignore all the confusion she felt. "Any objections from you now?"

Then Link suddenly remembered the star's ludicrous claim that he was the Holder of Courage. "Yes! I'm not the only descendant of the knights! There has to be more!"

"Of course there are more! But none of them have your potential." Said the star. Then he glanced at the sword on the pages back. "Or the Master Sword."

"Master Sword?" Asked Link. He reached for his sword, pulling it out and examining it. Even in the darkness of the Abyss it seemed to glow in its ethereal fashion. He gawked at the sword, and then at Vega. "But… I just found this!"

"And where did you find it?"

"In some old temple but-"

"Master Sword. You have the Triforce of Courage." Repeated the silvertop. "You want proof, look at the back of your left hand."

"But you said right to Zelda."

"And you're left-handed." Said Vega, obviously getting frustrated.

Frowning, Link looked at the back of his left hand. His cheeks began to hurt from how deep his frown went at the sight of the Triforce of Courage.

"Are you done now?" Whined the Skull Kid. It was tapping its foot with impatience.

"Almost." Said the star in a tone that matched the creature's impatience. He looked over back at Zelda and walked to her. he snapped his fingers in front of her face and she seemed to wake from her daze.

"Why are you telling us this?!" She said indignantly. The witch still felt confused and now she felt somewhat angry. Vega expected a reaction like that.

"I wasn't supposed to tell you, actually. I just thought it might make things simpler if you two knew ahead of time." Said the star simply, masking Zelda's own emotions well. "Especially if I'm getting tied up in your business…" he held up a hand to the two, telling them not to interrupt. "Ducky, when you unintentionally bonded our souls together you also had me twisted up in your fate. Even if we were to be separated now, I would still somehow end up with you two in this terrible mess. Aside from me not liking either of you, that was the main reason I was so desperate to get away. Unfortunately, it seems no matter what I do I won't be able to escape this blasted situation. So I'll cooperate."

"You will?!" Both Link and Zelda blurted out. That was the last thing they expected to hear.

"Cooperation doesn't involve wish-granting." The star added spitefully. "I'm offering to help in anything else. That's all."

The brief span of excitement within the two had died down.

"Now can we keep going?" Skull Kid asked irritably.

"Ah, put a sock in it you shirty prat!" Snarled the star. "We're done!"

Not waiting for the star to say anything else, the Skull Kid hastily continued on. All three had to run to catch up.

"Ask what you want as we go," Vega said to the other two. "I'll answer as best I can – and Ducky, before you say anything: this does _not_ make us friends."

* * *

I wonder if you all could tell that the chapter was completely and totally forced from my brain. D: Like I said, making stuff up as you go along isn't as easy as it seems.


	36. Out of the Abyss

I watched Ponyo today. It's a great movie and it's very cute. The only thing it was missing was character development, but it was such a cute story! And the theme song is addicting! XD Anyways, I highly recommend watching it. Especially if you're tired of all these movies that have 3-D animation. Personally, I've always liked 2-D animation better.

**guy**: Thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying the story! As for calling Vega an asshole, I have one thing to say to you: _Thank you_. You really did understand the situation perfectly. Yes, Vega did twist things around to make Link look bad. He _is_ an asshole. So yes, it's unfair and he did deserve that punch (and maybe a kick in the shins too). I'm glad you realized that. But like I said, he'll start lightening up soon. But he'll still be a bit of an ass.

**Legend of Zelda 4 Life**: Ah go ahead! Hug the shit out of Quinn! Dietrich was the one who said you couldn't but I overrule him because he's my bitch. Glad you enjoyed the last chapter. :D

Also, Time Spinner fans... if you pay attention really closely, you'll find something out about TS. All I ask is that you keep it secret.

* * *

Zelda asked no questions as they continued to follow the Skull Kid. She was still taking in the news that she was holder of the Triforce of Wisdom and that she, along with Link, would have to confront this man called Dragmire who had the Triforce of Power… But that wasn't what was concerning her. More than that was the fact that having the Triforce of Wisdom meant that she _did_ have at least one blood relative… And knowing that wasn't as nice as she first thought it would be.

Link was completely opposite of this. He couldn't say he was entirely happy at the knowledge of having the Triforce of Courage, though it did tug a bit at his ego. Any question he had concerning his Triforce piece was directed to Vega and the star answered to the best of his abilities. Vega didn't bother to hide his increasing frustration at all the questions, however, as most of them were just the same question rephrased.

After a small while, the Skull Kid finally told them to stop.

"We've reached your destination." It said cheerfully – perhaps a bit more cheerfully than necessary. Less than a moment after it had finished speaking, the blackness behind it opened up cleanly.

"How did you-" Link began but the Skull Kid answered before he could finish.

"Master Spinner likes to be dramatic. You don't need claws to open up the Abyss." It then went around behind the three and pushed them along towards the hole. "Now go on! Hurry! Get on out of here!"

All three protested the little scarecrow figure's pushiness and rushed themselves out through the hole. There was an unexpected gap of air between them and the grass below them, so they fell and landed unsteadily on their feet.

It took a moment for their eyes to adjust. It was midday… About the same time that they had broken into Vega's cell. The sky was periwinkle blue with a few graying clouds in it and there wasn't a tree in sight to block the view. The wind was blowing, not fiercely, but enough so that Zelda had to hold onto her hat to keep it from floating off. There was grass all around them. Just vividly green grass and hills.

"Hyrule Field." Link mumbled blankly.

Hyrule Field was on the complete opposite side of the map from the Gerudo Desert. The Time Spinner had not lied when it said it would grant them safe passage away from the Desert. But it may have lied about something else.

Vega glanced up to where they had dropped from. The hole of blackness was still there. The Skull Kid jumped out of it and giggled.

"Did your dear master give you any extra orders?" Asked the star. He had to admit: he saw something like this coming.

"It was more of a request, really." Said the Skull Kid, "But it was one that we couldn't pass up."

"_We?_" All three blurted out. That was something that Vega did not expect.

The small figure laughed in a fashion much like its master and then took out its flute. Like when it summoned the boat on the Styx, a shrewd annoying noise came from the flute. Strange, stringless puppets appeared out of thin air and then shadows jumped from the hole of the Abyss and into the puppets.

"B-but… Time Spinner promised that we'd be safe!" Zelda stuttered, forgetting about the news given to her earlier.

"Yeah – it promised that we'd be safe within the Abyss. We're not in the Abyss anymore." Vega pointed out between gritted teeth.

Link cursed loudly and called the Time Spinner many nasty names as he drew the Master Sword. Zelda and Vega had much the same train of thought as Link when it came to the Time Spinner, but they both prepared spells in their heads.

* * *

Nabooru had been imprisoned for aiding the escape of two prisoners, one of them the star, and trainee. Really, being stuck in the star's very cell didn't seem to be bothering her at all. Things were pretty horrible for her at the moment and she wasn't sure which was greater: anger or misery. Since she was so unsure about it, that's why she wasn't very bothered by her situation at the moment.

Eventually, anger overwhelmed her. That stupid Rigel or Vega or whatever his name! This was all his fault! If she had just decided to leave him alone back at Castle Town, she wouldn't be in this situation! Completely shamed and humiliated, stripped of all rank, blamed for so many things that weren't her fault…

And then came misery. She was never going to be out of this place. Koume and Kotake would never let her see the light of day, nor even the darkness of night… just the dankness of the cell. She probably wouldn't even have human contact for the rest of her life.

_"… If everyone treats you like crap, you could always try what I did: run."_

It was _not_ the voice she wanted to hear at the moment. Just the mere thought of him was enraging her to no end. But his last suggestion wasn't a bad one…

_Hmph… even if I wanted to take his advice, there's no way I can do it. Not unless I have friends in horrible places like he does…_ But at the same time, the Gerudo fortress was her home. Nabooru knew the place inside and out, even this dungeon that was so hardly used. In fact, she knew passages in this prison that not even Koume or Kotake knew. The only other person who could possibly know about the passages was Ganondorf because of years of playing Hide and Seek when they were younger. And the chains on her wouldn't be a problem. After years of work as a spy and general for her brother, chains weren't problems at all.

She began to forget her rage and misery as her excitement grew. She could run!

… But where would she go? The desert was the only place the Gerudo could go to without arousing suspicion. Nabooru sighed as her glimmer of hope died.

After crouching down and hugging her knees for so long, she finally lay down on the cold stones of her cell and just stared at the ceiling. She supposed she might as well make it her purpose to find out every single thing about every single stone that made up this cell since she had nothing better to do.

As she was staring at her fifty-second stone, she noticed that this one was slightly… off. It looked the same as any other stone on the ceiling, but there was just something strange about this one. She sat up and tried to examine it more closely. She could sort of see a faint little black line through… a wiggling black line. She shuddered at the thought of a centipede. She hated centipedes. But it was too faint to be a centipede. She stood up and went on her tip-toes to get a better look at it.

She was sure if she reached out she could touch it… The question was: did she want to?

She glanced at her manacled hand and then at the ceiling. It was probably just a shadow so… it wouldn't hurt to touch it to make sure.

Putting a hand to the band that held up her long ponytail, she fiddled with the folds and found what she was looking for: a small, dulled needle that was bent and banged around a bit because of the very task she was going to perform. She took the blunted needle and put it into one of the keyholes on the shackles. She fiddled with it for a moment before the manacle clanked open and then worked on the other. Now that the shackles were off, she could reach the dark spot of stone without any problems.

Getting on the tip of her toes again, she reached out for the dark spot of stone but paused… Was there something talking? It was faint, but she had to be hear8ng things. There was no in the prison besides herself and guard stationed outside of the door. The voices she was hearing weren't muffled, as if speaking through a wall; just faint, like if they were very far away. Even stranger was that it sounded like the voices were coming from the wiggling, dark spot of stone.

Her fingers brushed the stone lightly. It felt solid enough. Then it didn't. Then it felt cold – unnaturally so. The coldness started from her fingers and spread down her arm, to her head, down to the rest of her body. Her surroundings grew darker and darker and she couldn't move.

The next thing she knew, she fell down into blackness and landed roughly on something she couldn't quite see.

"Oh crap! How did this happen?! Did we leave the tear open?"

"Master Spinner will be so upset if he finds out about this!"

Nabooru groaned and pushed herself up. Spinner? Who was that and what was with the silly name? And who was talking? She couldn't see anyone… In fact, where was she?!

"We have to throw her back, else Master Spinner will be only too happy to cause us harm!"

Something barked in agreement, if it could be called a bark; it sounded more like entrails falling to the floor and piling up than a bark.

"But where-"

"It doesn't matter where, she just can't be _here_!"

"Wait a second-" Nabooru began to whoever was speaking, "Don't I get a say in this?"

Her answer wasn't something she particularly enjoyed. Much in the same fashion as she had arrived, she fell through coldness and then landed roughly somewhere she couldn't immediately identify. But upon opening her eyes, this time she knew where she was. She really didn't need to open her eyes to figure it out, though. Smell alone could've told her that. The smell of horse dung mixed with fresh and old hay gave it way. She was in the stables.

Blankly, she looked around. Not sure what to make of what just happened, she just automatically stood. Without thinking, she went to nearest horse and set it up. She was going to leave. She didn't have a plan, but somehow she had been thrown into this stable… It was daylight out, so most everyone would be asleep. Now was her chance…

The saddle she had chosen was obviously supposed to be used later. It already had everything she would need for a journey through the desert. She attempted not to think of how good this was for fear of jinxing the stroke of luck she had received. Once everything was all set and done, she threw herself up onto the horse and set out quickly. She got the horse to quickly trot to the gates, where the guards were showing their vigilance by sleeping in the shade. She dismounted and quietly pushed open the gate, then mounted up again and rode out. She didn't bother to go back and close the gate.

She had forced the horse to go at a gallop for some time and then stopped it. She took one final glance at the fortress she had called home for so many years. A wave of bitterness caught up with her. Nabooru spat in the fortress's direction and then shouted, "Fuck you all!"

* * *

I really, really, really didn't feel like working on an action sequence. I'm still dreading it because I kind of hate action sequences... Writing them at least. And reading them is kind of difficult for me. Eh... Oh well...


	37. On the Road Again

Short chapter.

Anyways, I was thinking over college and the update schedule. I start next week. And I also have school on Saturdays. I'm supposed to update on Saturdays (though lately it's been more or less around the end of the week). So I really have no idea what's going to happen or if I'll be able to keep to the schedule. I won't make any promises, but I will try to update when I can.

I'M NERVOUS PEOPLE.

* * *

It was at that time, when they were surrounded by strange puppets containing Abyss creatures, that Vega really wished the other Immortals could control their sadistic sibling. But that thought quickly left the star's mind as he felt Zelda's panic and frustration levels rising.

The puppets came at them, making wooden clanking sounds as they neared with surprising speed. They jumped aside to avoid the first wave of the puppet attack. To Link's disdain, Vega was the one who had veered Zelda back on track after her awkward landing. The disdain didn't last, however, as the puppets were coming at them with their wooden fingers bared like claws.

Link hacked and slashed with the Master Sword, cutting aside any puppet that crossed him and came at him. Vega, not chancing using magic in such close-quarters used his own stardust blade, charging it with some sort of spell when it hit the target. Zelda unleashed a fire spell at the puppets; she lost control midway through the spell, but was lucky enough that the fire just expanded to hit other puppets rather than toast her or her comrades. And all the while as they fought, the Skull Kid never ceased playing its flute in its harsh, annoying tone. Even when all the puppets had toppled or fried and sent their temporary residents back to their proper home in the darkness, the little scarecrow-like figure never stopped.

It didn't take them long to find out why.

Just when it seemed like it was finished, more puppets popped out of thin air and more dark shadows rushed from the tear in reality into the husks.

The three frustrated humanoids and all looked at each other, understanding the situation. As long as that Skull Kid kept the shrewd tone going, no matter how many adversaries they felled they would be replaced. So the plan had silently become "aim for the Skull Kid."

Zelda was the first to get the closest to Skull Kid. She sent a fire blast its was, but just before it reached him, a puppet dashed in front and took the hit for Skull Kid. In the moment of surprise that the witch had, a puppet struck her. That caused Link to flare up with a primal rage he'd never felt before and immediately ran to strike the offending puppet down. Zelda had taken care of it already when he had gotten near enough, but now he was closest to the Skull Kid. As much as he wished to continue to stay by the princess's side, getting at the Skull Kid was the prime directive. So he wound his way around a few more puppets and charged at the creature. Rather than that one puppet that came and took Zelda's attack, three came to veer Link off his course. And they succeeded.

During all this commotion being caused by Link and Zelda, Vega had been preparing one of his specialty fire lances. The puppets had given full attention to the others, so he had no trouble preparing it quickly enough. A flick of his wrist sent the golden line of flame towards the Skull Kid. For a moment, he thought he had succeeded. It was only for a moment. While no puppets came to the Skull Kid's defense this time, the Skull Kid did show off acrobatic and multi-tasking skills as it flipped backwards and away from the lance while still keeping the shrill tone that kept its comrades coming.

They had gone one for only the goddesses knew how long. All three were tiring and the many bruises, cuts, and slashes on them seemed to be increasing. Zelda had gotten a light cut on her belly, a few tears on her dress, and a red splotch was developing on her right cheek; Vega had gotten his nose broken again (which Link secretly took joy in when he saw it, however briefly) and the arm that wielded the stardust blade looked positively tattered; Link was probably the worst of the bunch, which was fitting as the master Sword seemed to take the puppets out faster than the magic of Vega's ethereal blade or Zelda's fire. Point of pride, though it was, it was still exhausting him. He had slashes on just about every limb, cuts on his face, and he knew when this was done with he would hurt the next day.

If there was one thing he was sure of, it was that they would all survive because Vega had told them of the Time Spinner strict lifetime philosophy of not defying Fate. But the way things were going, Link was wondering if that was really true.

A column of flame then erupted by the Skull kid. It finally stopped playing and let out a shriek before scattering clumsily back up to the tear to the Abyss. Link glanced at Zelda and Vega, who seemed just as oblivious as he was.

After the Skull Kid disappeared, the puppets didn't seem to be too interested in remaining to fight. The shadows left the husks, which plopped onto the floor with clanks and then disappeared.

The three regrouped.

"That wasn't me." Zelda said warily.

"Nor I…" Vega said, not hiding a touch of concern in his tone.

"I do not do magic." Link said. "So if it wasn't you guys… Who was it?"

A voice, male but timid, piped up. "Ah… it was me…"

Link and Vega turned on their heels. They were glaring at a tall, sandy-cloaked figure. The Blade of Evil's Bane was one side of where the cloaked figure's neck would be and Vega's stardust blade was on the other side.

"OhGodpleasedon'thurtme." The stranger said squeakily while quickly holding up his hands.

"You guys! Stop it! He just saved us!" Zelda said angrily. She marched up to the slivertop and blond and forcibly lowered their arms, and their swords, by forcing her own arms down on theirs.

Vega didn't object, however, as he remembered the hooded stranger from a graveyard. "Oh… sorry 'bout that."

Link frowned, looking at the cloak more closely and realizing he'd heard the voice from before. "Wait a second… You're one of the creeps who were making tea in that graveyard."

"Eheh, guilty as charged…" The voice of the stranger was more than anxious. "I mean, _you_ may find it weird but I'm used to it…"

"How can you be used to having tea in a graveyard?!" Link asked incredulously.

"He's a necromancer – well, the apprentice of the pair, I believe?" Vega asked.

The stranger nodded but Link and Zelda seemed to be on edge again.

"Necromancer?!" Zelda squealed.

"Oh no, no!" The apprentice said quickly, "Most necromancers are good, you know! It's just the bad ones that give us the negative reputation…"

"And how do we know you aren't a bad one?" Asked the page suspiciously.

Zelda then gave him a flat look. "Would an evil necromancer offer us tea in the middle of a graveyard?"

"Point taken…" Link mumbled. "But why save us?"

"No doubt your master's orders." Vega said to the apprentice.

A twitch from the hood showed that he was nodding. "Yes. He wanted to make sure you came back to Castle Town without distraction. You see, me and my Lord were about to leave Castle Town but then we received a message from someone. It was really strange because it used the same coding as the person but the person had recently died. We decided that it must've been someone that knew him so we went to see and there were these two people – a really pretty lady and a weird little man that looked like a kid. They told us the circumstances behind the recently deceased's death and asked for our assistance. I mean, we can't do much because we're not allowed to take sides because of the Order – they're very strict and-"

"Please," Vega interrupted, speaking for the others present. "Get to the point."

"Oh… yes, sorry. So my master decided to send me to get you and make sure you come to Castle Town quickly while he remains over there to offer what little help he can to the two."

Link frowned. "You said one of them was a weird little man that looked like a kid… Did he have this creepy smile on him all the time, even when it wasn't appropriate?"

"Yes. Do you know him?"

"Unfortunately…" growled the page.

"But how do we know we can trust those people?" Asked Zelda.

"My uncle's one of them." Link told her. "He's creepy and weird but he _is_ family… And I really hoped he wouldn't get involved with this…" he directed his attention back to the apprentice necromancer. "But did you catch the name of the woman?"

"It was Anya, I think."

Link shuddered. Anya? What was his uncle doing with that temptress?

"But we really don't have much time." The apprentice continued. "We need to get going."

"But why should we follow you?" Link asked. He couldn't help but be suspicious – it was in his nature. "I mean, just because you know my uncle doesn't mean you're trustworthy. My uncle's a bit of a freak, after all."

Zelda's lip puffed out, mostly from thought. "That is a good point… I mean, we don't even know your name…"

"My name really isn't important! You just have to believe me when I say it's important that you get to Castle Town immediately!"

"Have there been stories of monster attacks?" Vega asked suddenly. Link and Zelda looked at him worriedly.

The sandy cloaked figure paused. They didn't need to his face behind that cloak to know that the silence was a grim one. "That's why we need to hurry… That and because Ganondorf is tracking you, Mr. Star."

The star's eyes widened. "What?!"

"Wait," Link said, "Tracking? How could can they do that?!"

Zelda realized it quickly enough, though. "Vega, your hair!"

The page looked from the witch to the star, who seemed to understand exactly what she meant. Both looked extremely tense and worried. The apprentice necromancer was probably looking the same way as well under that hood.

"Bloody hell…" the silvertop cursed. He put a hand through his silver hair. "I can't stop a hair from falling… The witches must've found one… Damn, if everything hasn't gone pear shaped…"

"And now you see why it's important that we get to Castle Town as soon as possible." Said the necromancer. "He needs to be defeated before he can do anything with you or the kingdom. It may be right under his nose, but Castle Town would be the safest place for you. In fact, there's a much better chance of him finding you out here than over there."

"That makes no sense whatsoever, but I owe your master one." The star growled.

"Wait… I still don't understand. What about Vega's hair?" Link asked.

* * *

Behold the return of my favorite spaz. He's only going to be in around one or two more chapters, though. I still wuv him, though - in the motherly sort of way.

Um... nothing to say.


	38. Sanctuary

I love how even though I have school tomorrow, I'm still up at 3 AM working on this. Damn do I need to work on my priorities.

Anyways, that also means I won't be talking to my beloved reviewers this update. I need to go to sleep. D:

* * *

Nabooru ended up walking her horse through the Wasteland. Not because the horse couldn't travel it. It was simply the barren lands in between Hyrule and the Gerudo Desert. Had she not pushed her horse so hard, she might still be riding across. But in her rush to escape the Desert she hadn't thought back to the basics: A horse needs to walk two miles for each mile long gallop. The way she had pushed her steed, she was surpised that the horse was even able to walk.

As she kept going, the doubt she had been feeling before the strange experience that lead to her escape came back. She began to once again wonder where she was going to go.

Castle Town was the first place she thought of. It was also the worst place to go. She wasn't wearing anything other than her normal clothes. With no cloak or hood to hide her features, she would be recognized instantly as an enemy of Hyrule.

_But Ganondorf got away with it…_ She thought. How did he get away with it? He certainly didn't look anything like a Hylian. He was as Gerudo as one could get. He probably said he was from across the sea or some such nonsense. Perhaps she could do that too? In fact… she could an accent like the one Vega had naturally!

Her face burned as the anger rose in her as she remembered Vega again. Why was it that he was indirectly giving her all these good ideas!? Maybe she could just come up with some fake accent? Nabooru's face burned hotter as she realized she couldn't think of any fake accent that would sound the least bit convincing.

Pausing, she glanced over at her horse. "You think I could pull it off?" She asked it in her best Vega impression. The horse merely gruffed in a tired response. "I'll take that as a maybe."

And so, she decided she'd go to Castle Town, for lack of any better alternative. If she was found out… as much as she hated to admit it, she would probably run to her brother. But would he help her? Just because they were siblings didn't mean he actually cared for her as such. _I just can't get caught then._

Occasionally, Nabooru would practice Vega's strange accent to her steed again, hoping that the use of it would convince people who saw her that she was not Gerudo but from across the sea. At least until she could get a hold of a hooded cloak that could hide everything.

Gradually, the Wasteland began turning greener and trees began popping up more often. A dirt road even seemed to appear somewhere along the way. Feeling that her horse had had enough hardship for one day, she went off the dirt road and let the creature graze and rest. Still, she didn't want to be seen so she led the horse behind a small patch of trees that would hide both from view if anyone were to pass. She found herself yawing a little bit later, noticing that she was actually kind of tired as well. With a sigh, she went and patted the horse's snout. "Don't wander of too far, now." Then she settled up against a tree and closed her eyes.

Nabooru awoke with a jump start when her horse nudged her shoulder. It was night. She was about to scramble up so she and her steed could continue their journey when her nose picked up the sound of fires. Not big fires that suggested mass carnage, but just small fires… like if someone was camping. She carefully glanced out from behind her hiding place of trees and immediately drew herself back in.

Moblins. There was a group of Moblins right by the road, surrounding a fire a cooking what looked like a jumbo-sized wharf rat. She didn't question what they were doing there; she knew the answer already since she was once second-in-command of the Gerudo Army. Ganondorf had been forging an alliance with creatures that had come to be known as monsters. And these monsters were on their way to a secret camp near Castle Town – just in case Ganon needed the hostile takeover he was trying to avoid.

Biting her lip, she stood and carefully mounted the horse. If she was quiet about it, she could ride away unnoticed. After all, the group wasn't that big. Moblins never traveled in large groups because of their terrible tempers. If they traveled in too big of a group, they might end up killing each other. So since there weren't that many of them, she slipped away easily.

But as soon as the fire was out of sight, she apologized to her horse and made it gallop through the night.

* * *

Surprisingly, the journey of Link, Zelda, Vega, and the necromancer was absolutely uneventful. It was funny, though, as the necromancer couldn't seem to take two steps without tripping on his sandy cloak.

Zelda was very quiet throughout the whole journey, seemingly lost in her own thoughts and occasionally staring at the back of her right hand. Link would try to get her to speak, but he backed out most all of the time because of the new-found revelation that she was princess. It wasn't in his place to even speak with her, really… But he really did wish to speak to her. She seemed pretty concerned and anxious, and judging from Vega's enhanced moodiness, Link was willing to bet that she was feeling as such.

They arrived in Castle Town through the South gate, squished in between a stubborn old woman carrying an assortment of baskets and an older man who wouldn't stop jabbering that the end of days was nearing. None of the group wanted to tell him how close to the truth he was.

"So where are we going now?" Link asked the necromancer.

Shockingly, the necromancer didn't say anything. He just gestured for them to follow and all of them followed him into a dark alleyway. Going through a maze of back roads occasionally crossing through the continually crowding main roads of Castle Town, the necromancer finally paused in a shabby looking part of town. Vega mumbled something about how he still thought this was a lousy idea, but everyone ignored him. They walked a little more through the main streets of the slums of Castle Town, ignoring the glowering stares from bitter old men in the street corners and pleading eyes of young children who hadn't had enough to eat.

The necromancer had led them to what seemed to be an ancient building. It wasn't terribly tall. A one-story building with weathered stone walls and equally weathered statues in the front. The statues were so run down, their human shapes were just barely recognizable. The windows were stained-glass, with the occasional pane missing. There were beaten-down double-doors made of oak at the front of the building.

"Come on. In here." Said the apprentice necromancer as he walked right up to the doors. He pushed open the door and went right on inside.

The three gave each other reluctant looks, and Vega found himself grabbing the hair at the back of his head – almost cursing it for being use din a tracking spell. Because this place wasn't going to be safe, he just knew it. Nonetheless, all three went in, if hesitantly.

The building was a temple. There were rows of benches and then an altar at the back. And above the altar was a mural. Unlike the rest of the temple, which looked old and decrepit, the mural looked almost new. It depicted the goddesses in a circle, in the order of the Triforce – which was also there in the middle of the mural. The goddesses and the Triforce were emitting golden light above the earth. Their attention was torn away from the mural when they noticed someone walking up to them. It was an older looking man with a great belly and quite mustache and sideburns. Behind him was a sandy cloaked figure, though something about this man was different from the necromancer that had arrived with them.

"Welcome to the Temple of the Goddesses," began the old man with a small bow. "I am Rauru, preacher of this temple. The Master Necromancer-" he seemed to say it with a shudder, "-told me that you would be coming."

"Didn't think I'd see you again." Vega commented. He was very plainly speaking to the sandy cloaked figure behind Rauru.

"Likewise." Said the master necromancer. "My apprentice has gone to make tea. Please, all of you sit down."

The star's eyes never left the necromancer, even as they moved to one of the pews and sat. "Care to explain how a church is going to stop Sir Evil Incarnate from finding me?"

"That would be the power of Sanctuary," Rauru answered the question rather than the necromancer.

"Power of Sanctuary?" Zelda asked. "I think I read about it somewhere…"

The preacher smiled gently and looked lovingly up at the ceiling of the temple. "It's one of the most powerful magicks there is. Anyone who steps foot into a Temple of the Goddesses is granted Sanctuary. It offers the ultimate protection from any sort of evil or spell."

"But it only works so long as you stay inside, right?" Zelda asked.

"The only drawback." Said the necromancer. "It is for that reason that you all must stay here until the others have come up with a plan."

"And the others would be my uncle and that temptress." Link stated. It wasn't a question at all.

"Watch who you call temptress, boy." Said a sharp feminine voice.

Link, Zelda, and Vega jumped in their seats. Reluctantly, the page turned. Dressed all in black from head to toe was Anya. She was beautiful as ever, except something in her eyes was cold and hard. And then next to her, smiling his stupid smile was Eugen. "Hello there, nephew!"

Link grumbled a not-so-enthusiastic greeting.

Eugen then looked at Zelda and Vega. His stupid grin grew wider and brighter. He went up to each one of them and shook their hands. "Hello there! I'm Link's uncle Eugen! Thank you for taking care of him all this time!"

Both star and witch weren't entirely sure how to react to the cheerful introduction except to give their own slightly stunned introductions. After all introductions were complete, everyone was sitting down – save for Rauru who insisted on allowing the group their privacy. Nobody actually spoke, however, until the apprentice necromancer came and brought out tea.

"So," began Eugen brightly, facing Vega's direction, "Judging from your hair and complexion – as well as your air of 'I'm better than everyone else,' you're the star being, right?"

Zelda was surprised to feel no offense coming from Vega at all. Rather, the silvertop just smiled a true smile and said, "Yes. I suppose the necromancers told you about the circumstances me and the girl are under."

"Troublesome, to say the least." Anya said. Her voice betrayed any sign of emotion. "Both you and the…" she looked at Zelda and cocked her head, as if trying to find the appropriate word, "… princess… have power that Dragmire wants."

"But we have the Master Sword," Link said, unsheathing his sword and showing it to everyone proudly. "The Blade of Evil's Bane. Surely it can defeat Dragmire."

"And what to do you expect to do, boy?" Anya snapped bitterly. The sneer on her normally beautiful face turned it ugly, bitter with unnatural hatred. "Are you planning to just walk up to him and do the deed? It doesn't work like that! He has defenses that we can't even dream to get past! How could a bunch of mere teenagers hope to get past them?"

"For the record, I'm thirty-two." Vega chimed in.

But the star was ignored. Link felt his cheeks burn, but his grip grew stronger on the hilt of the sword. "This sword is the only thing that can defeat him, you know."

"Of course I know!" Snapped the Eldin province holder. "It still doesn't stop you from-"

"That's enough, Anya." Eugen said, his expression serious. The page found himself extremely unnerved by his uncle's sudden change in expression. He'd never seen him like that. Even more unnerving was Anya's reaction to it. She was still obviously angry. But her fists merely clenched her black skirts as she bit her lip.

"I know you want a taste of Dragmire's blood," the small man continued, "If anything, you want to kill him yourself. But you, yourself, said it: he has defenses we couldn't dream of penetrating. Aside from his own personal spells, he has that Zant fellow shadowing him everywhere, as well as the vast majority of the Court."

The collared page forked an eyebrow. "How do you know all of that?"

The Faron province holder smiled a creepy smile. "I have much to tell you about my real occupation when we're finished here. But that's later… Right now, we need to get settle this."

"But how?" Zelda asked, joining in the conversation after a long silence. "I mean… The woman there said it: we're just teenagers… kids, really. And we can't just waltz in either…"

"Leave it to the adults." Anya said.

Zelda frowned. She wasn't sure she liked this woman very much.

"And what are we leaving to the adults, exactly?" Vega asked.

"We have to announce that there is an heir to the throne: a blood relative to the king." Eugen said.

"What?!" Link and Zelda blurted out simultaneously.

The blond man-child continued, his inappropriate smile resurfacing. "Don't worry, Princess, we'll keep your whereabouts a secret."

"But won't they want proof of some sort? I mean, it's a little presumptuous to assume they'll just believe you!" She said skittishly. Vega forked a silver eyebrow at the girl, sensing her mass confusion, anger, and fear.

"That's the point, little girl." Anya jeered. "It may be true but unless we present you immediately, no one will believe us. But it'll cause enough of a scandal to keep Dragmire occupied, especially since the king is in no position to speak at the moment."

Eugen then took over. "With all the stress Dragmire will be under, his defenses will weaken. When they're at their weakest, then you can come out and strike. Still, it could take a while. You'll all have to remain here until we can make sure Dragmire's at his weakest. Train, memorize the layout of the castle, make plans, whatever. Just be prepared for this to happen at any time. In the mean time, the necromancers will be distracting the monster camp nearby, in case Dragmire decides that a hostile takeover might be the best choice to gain the crown."

"I thought necromancers were supposed to be neutral." Vega flatly.

The master necromancer shrugged and said, "We are… unless my apprentice just so happens to accidentally release a cluster of rogue spirits upon a camp of creatures. Naturally, the nearest necromancers would have to come and clear up such a troublesome situation, and who knows how long that can take." The apprentice necromancer's hood twitched viciously with all the agreeable nods he was giving his master.

"I don't like not doing anything…" Link growled. And before his uncle could respond to that, the page snapped, "And training doesn't really count as doing anything!"

There was a bit more elaboration on the plan after that, but not much. Soon enough, Zelda retreated into a corner by herself, seemingly more troubled than she had been in the last few days. Eugen had taken Link off to the side to explain that he was really Sheikah – something which Link had a very hard time registering. The necromancers had gone off and seemed to be engaged in conversation with Rauru, the nature of which seemed very… controversial.

That just left Vega and Anya. The star was very uncomfortable and wished he could move away, but Anya's gaze was locked onto him. Finally, she stood and said in a commanding voice, "Follow me."

He seriously considered telling her to piss off, but decided against it.

She lead him to the back of the temple and to the small courtyard within it. It was empty, and Vega was a bit fearful for a moment, until he saw a gate that told him he was still protected by Sanctuary. The woman turned to him, her face like stone.

"You grant wishes, correct?" She asked.

He sighed. He knew where this was going. "I don't."

"Which means you do." She concluded. "I want to make a wish."

"I don't grant wishes." The star repeated.

"Make an exception!" She snapped. But it wasn't in anger that she spoke. Her expression changed to that of a desperate woman's.

"I don't-"

"Please!" She cried, her face looking ever more ragged. "I want him back! Bring Quinn back!"

He was left flabbergasted. Quinn? That fellow who they had seen in the Styx, walking to the afterlife? "Even if I wanted to, I couldn't." He told her.

She stomped her feet angrily and shouted, "Lies! Bring him back!"

"Stars don't have the power to revive the dead." He said it quietly and gravely.

It was as if someone had just slapped Anya. Tears still streaming down her puffing face, she looked blank. It was like something had died inside of her. "He shouldn't have died…" she choked. "It should've been me… He wouldn't be this torn if it was me who had died… he never loved me." And without another word, she left with her eyes watching her feet.

Vega just watched after her. Love. There was that word again. What was love? This mysterious emotion that humans so reveled in… Sure, he knew of sibling love… but this love that Anya had for Quinn… What was that? He couldn't understand. What would drive a person to say such things, to take fault in such things? Love. This strange emotion that seemed to cause so much happiness in some humans… and excruciating pain in others.

The star felt a headache arriving from just thinking of it. Stars didn't dwell much on emotions… things like this were just too complicated for him to understand.

* * *

I actually wanted that scene between Vega and Anya to be a little more in depth but I think my brain shortened it because it wanted to sleep. D:

Anyways, just want you all to know that I'll be talking a bit more about stars and their way of life next chapter. Let's just say it'll give everyone a lot of insight into why Vega is such an arrogant bastard most all of the time. In fact... let's just say it's safe to assume that all stars, not just Vega, are arrogant bastards.


	39. Matters of Love and Friendship

4 in the fucking MORNING. Dammit. And I have school tomorrow... Oh well. I did this to myself. This chapter just wanted to come out so I let it. Will talk more at the end.

* * *

The week that had passed at the temple had been bearable at first. However, by the third day, Vega and Link began to get antsy. After all, the courtyard of the temple wasn't really 'outside'. Zelda was opposite. In fact, she had stayed very quiet and distant. She seemed to be avoiding any company, not even saying hello to Rauru whenever the old preacher passed. The only one who had any sort of idea what was going on with her was Vega, and he said it was causing him chronic migraines.

So Link took it upon himself to try and talk to her. She often sat at the first bench of the temple, staring at the mural of the Goddesses. He carefully sat down next to her, but he didn't say anything for a moment. He was sure that she knew he was there, but he gave her a bit just in case.

"Princess," she flinched at being addressed as such, but he continued, "You haven't been looking well lately. Is something wrong?"

The witch's brow furrowed but she said nothing.

"Princess?"

Still nothing.

"Please, princess-"

"I'm not a princess." She said firmly. Her gaze was still focused on the mural, but she really did mean what she said.

"But you are. I mean, you're the daughter of the king so that makes you the princess."

She stood up and stared at him angrily. "I'm _not _the princess! Being the daughter of a king doesn't automatically make me a princess!" The page opened his mouth to say something, but it was then that something snapped within the witch. "I always wished for a family but I never thought finding would make me a princess! I don't want that! So stop calling me princess!"

"But… you _are_ a princess." Link blurted out, not understanding at all why she was angry.

Zelda slapped him. "_Idiot!_" She screeched. Her eyes watery, as if she was about to cry. "Don't you even know what that means?!"

_Ka-thunk!_

Both looked to the back of the temple to see what made the sound. It was Vega. The star was on the floor, shaking violently and foaming at the mouth. Link and Zelda forgot their fight. Link immediately went to get the star while Zelda went to fetch Rauru.

What on earth had happened to Vega?

* * *

He'd never felt so much pain before in his life. It was as if someone had stabbed him in the head a thousand times with an acid-tipped blade. Zelda had been screaming at Link… and then he had just fallen. It was her emotions. No… it was one emotion. The one that gave him such bad headaches. And even now in the darkness it still pained him.

_"Hey, do you remember? Under the tree on the hill?"_ A voice sang. It was such a familiar voice… A voice that took all the pain away. _"The memories of that summer? How much time has passed since that day?"_

His eyes shot pen and he sat up. "Estrella!"

The place he was in was the exact opposite of the Abyss. Instead of blackness, there was whiteness. Almost undistinguishable from the whiteness, sitting on her knees, was his sister. She was a female version of Vega except with blue eyes. Standing, they would've been the same height, even if she was older than him. She smiled gently at him, which sent his heart soaring. "Vega."

"Estrella…" he said again; still amazed to be able to see her. But where was he? He wasn't in heaven or in the temple. "Am I dead…?"

"No. That would mean I'd be dead too." Said Estrella.

"Then how can I be seeing you?" He asked, completely confused and almost desperate. He hadn't realized how much he had missed her…

She inched towards him and pulled him closer to her in an embrace. "Ah, my blinkered brother… You should know you can never get away from me, no matter how far you go."

For a moment, the embrace was warm and kind. The next moment, Estrella had grabbed him by the hair and was pulling him to his feet as he yowled in pain. "You daft, cheeky, little git!" She snapped angrily at him. "Idiot of a boy!"

"ARGH! Let me go you old hag!"

"_Old hag?!_ Ugh, and you were so happy to see me earlier…" She said angrily as she tightened her grip on his shortened hair. "Why'd you have to cut it? It's so much harder to pound your head in when your hair is so short!"

"Let me go!" He cried.

"Fine." She said haughtily, throwing him aside as if he were a rag.

After skidding on his side, he got up, slightly angered. "What was that for?"

"That was for being exactly what I called you earlier" Said his sister angrily. "Blinkered, daft, cheeky! You always were, you little git."

One of his eyebrows twitched in irritation but he said nothing.

"Do you have any idea how you treat those two humans?" She asked him.

Was that was this was about? What did they have to do with this? Reading his expression, his sister growled, "You treat them exactly how the others treated you."

The words had to process in his brain for a moment before the rage blew up. "Do _not_ compare me to that lot!"

"Oh I _will_ compare you to them because you _are_ acting like them!" Estrella hissed, her blue eyes narrowed into slits. "Look at you, insulting them and degrading them every chance you get! Disgusting! All you're doing is taking out thirty0two years frustration on them! And that girl… she made a mistake, yes, but she's sorry you know! She even wants to be your friend, yet you dismiss it completely!"

"I can't help it if they're idiots!" Vega growled.

"Say what you will, idiot brother. The fact remains that even now, when your physical being in such a horrid state, those two are taking care of you. That's what friends are, you know. People who take care of you in tough times."

"They are not-"

She cut him off. "Think about how you end that sentence carefully, Vega. Think of any tough times you've been through with them. What did they do?"

The younger star opened his mouth but closed it when he couldn't say anything to that. Staring at his boots and grinding his teeth, he realized something. He'd been through peril with Link and Zelda. The monster in the forest… they had all worked together to defeat it; they had rescued him from the Gerudo prison; gone through the Abyss together; fought the creatures of the Abyss together… But that was all because they wanted a wish! Right…?

"Humans aren't like us, Vega." Estrella spoke tiredly. "They can do something of convenience for them and come out with something completely different. I bet they'd always thought they were your friends until you brought their original intentions to mind."

He said nothing. His sister sighed and then hugged him again. Vega tensed for a moment, thinking she might yank his hair again, but she didn't. "You turned into your brothers and sisters, but you can change that… And do try to see things from their point of view, and explain to them things they can't understand about us. They're your friends, whether you like to admit or not."

He blushed slightly. But even a slight blush made his pale face redder than he would've liked. "You never told me how this is all happening."

She let go but still held his shoulders. "You said it yourself: I'm an old hag."

And then he woke up; his eyes opening to his small little room in the temple. He tried to sit up but immediately found himself dizzy, so he lay back down on his pillow. From his peripheral vision, he could see bowl of what smelled like cold beef stew. He let himself lie there and stare at the ceiling, mulling over his strange experience with his sister. It made him feel like crap. He really had been just like the ones who threw him down here. And so, during the time he was alone, he began thinking of what he was going to say when he next saw the two… Would they accept an apology from him? Especially with all the horrible things he'd said to them before?

What felt like hours was really only minutes. The door opened and Zelda came in.

"You're awake!" She said happily, quickly walking over to his bedside.

Sitting himself up slowly, the star noticed that Link was in the doorway. Zelda began to jabber on about how worried everyone was, and Vega just kept rehearsing lines in his head.

"…Sorry…" He mumbled.

"Huh? What did you say?" Asked Zelda.

Taking a deep breath, Vega said it louder. "I said, I'm sorry."

"For what?" She asked, obliviously.

The star forked an eyebrow. "You can't be serio- I mean… I've been an enormous prat!"

"If prat means 'dick', then you're right." Link said, now looking at the star suspiciously.

"I mean it!" Vega snapped in his direction. He cursed loudly at the snap. "Sorry! This is just the way I am!"

Link forked an eyebrow.

"Look at this way, ben-gi… Link. I'm a star being. What do star beings do? We hang about in the sky and watch humans from the heavens. We look down on you, in both senses of the phrase… And that's a bit presumptuous and… we're all like this, just to differing degrees…"

The page rolled his eyes. "Whatever." And he walked away.

"I know you meant it." Zelda said heartily.

"Of course you would know I meant it." He said, trying keep the irritation level from rising. Why was apologizing so damned hard?

"But what happened? You just had a seizure all of a sudden. Do you know why?" She asked.

He looked at her. "You did what I told you not to do." He said it calmly enough.

She was confused. "What do you mean."

"Back in the forest, I told you never to fall in love with the git because there were some things stars couldn't feel."

She blushed. "I am not-"

"Yes, yes, you're going to deny it, but really it's the only reason I can think of as to why I seized." Vega said simply.

Zelda was a bit taken aback. "I don't… What are you saying?"

"Stars can't feel love." Said the silvertop plainly.

"How can you not be able to feel love?" She asked blankly.

Vega leaned back against the backboard of his small bed. "Well, it's inaccurate to say we _can't_ feel it. We used to be able to but…"

"But…?"

"Being selfish, stuck-up, jerks tends to harden a race's heart." Said Vega almost sadly. "Earlier I said that stars look down on humans. We really do… but we also look down on everyone else. We're selfish, superficial beings. Once upon a time we were able to love but we grew too vain and eventually killed off the feeling of love. It's foreign to us now. But not all kinds of love. Love for friends and our parent, for example, still remain."

"Wow…" she said softly. Then she blushed as she remembered the implications of what he said. "B-but that doesn't mean-"

"Oh, don't deny it, Ducky. You're in love with him." He said with possibly the first true smile she'd ever seen him make.

"But what about-"

"Don't worry about me." he said, rolling his wrist in the air in dismissal. "In fact, I think it won't be a problem for me anymore."

The witch coked her head to the side, puzzled. "Huh?"

"I think that seizure was the best thing that happened to me. I'm not saying I want another one, mind you but… I think that the pain of a super intense paroxysm broke my brain a bit. I may be in love, myself." He said.

Zelda brightened and her eyes glimmered. "Really? Do we know her?"

"No, but I've known the old hag my whole life." He said it plainly as if he was speaking of the weather, but Zelda could tell he was slightly embarrassed about it. "But enough about that!"

She grinned evilly but didn't push it.

"So… What was with your big outburst of love earlier?" He asked.

Zelda forgot that was how the conversation originally started. "I… I…"

"Stupid question. I heard the conversation before I seized." Vega said. "You don't want to be a princess if it means you're separated from Link, right?"

Her face went redder than spring-ripe tomato, but she let herself nod a bit. She began to stare at her skirt.

Vega cocked his head to the side and then said. "But there's more to it than that."

Her face went redder.

"Go ahead, talk. If you keep it bottled up it's going to lash out." Said the star.

"B-but…"

"I'm your friend." Vega said, wishing his skin wasn't so pale. The blood beneath his cheeks was burning him…

Perhaps that was the phrase she needed to hear, because she spoke. "I mean… I like Link a lot… But I hate it when he calls me princess… and not just because I… I… It's just that… My mother obviously had some sort of affair with the king that conceived me… But was it really so horrible that she had to be exiled… That I had to be abandoned?!" She said, speaking the words she was so afraid to speak. Because saying those words meant that she _did_ accept that she an illegitimate child. "I mean… did he care for my mother at all if he cast her out so readily? Did he use her and throw her out when he found out about me? I don't know and… I'm not sure I want to find out! It's scary… especially since if everyone finds out about me, they're all going to expect me to take the king's place… And I don't even know where to begin…" her eyes burned form the tears that she held back but could be held back no longer. "I don't know what's going on."

"Perhaps we understand each other more than I first thought." Vega said softly.

And somewhere during this conversation, Link had come back and eavesdropped on the two. He didn't think he had ever felt more envy in his life.

* * *

Hokay, first things first. I know some of you may be thinking "INCEST! GASP! EBIL!" Personally, I don't think incest is that much of an issue unless there's a generation gap. However, I do recognize that society finds it disgusting. In this case, it isn't really so. All stars are brothers and sisters since they all have the same parent. Their mother/father is the moon. And stars can't reproduce since they're completely sterile. However, as Vega said earlier, at one point in time, most were capable of falling love before they all turned into huge jerkfaces. But for the most part, that love was platonic and involved little to no sex since they have no sex drive.

So yes, Vega has a crush on his own sister. Get over it. If it makes you feel better, it's unrequited. And that's not a spoiler because I never will get into his relationship with his sister.

Kay... sleepytime nao...


	40. Mercy for the Enemy

**Legend of Zelda 4 Life**: No, no Link didn't hear that at all. There wouldn't be tension if he did hear that. Allow me to quote Time Spinner when I say, "Kekekeke!"And you don't need me to quote what Vega said about you. D:

**NinjaSheik**: Thank you, I'm glad you think so.

**LadyZayriah**: And they're about to get more interesting! I'm going to quote Time Spinner again: "Kekekeke!"

Oh and to **fleets**, I know you put it in a review a couple of chapters ago, but I'm answering anyways. Don't worry too much about Anya. She'll get a happy ending. :D

You know, I never quite noticed until just now but... I have over 100 reviews on this. I think I spazzed off the walls and foamed at the mouth when I saw that. Thanks guys!

* * *

The day after, Vega had been more amicable than he had ever been before. Contrary to how he usually acted before, the star was actually quite cheerful. Before he had been brooding and angry, but now he was cheerful and more upbeat. He'd even gone and forgiven Zelda for binding their souls.

Frankly, the whole situation irritated the hell out of Link. Vega had gone from jackass to Zelda's bosom buddy overnight. A person didn't just change so suddenly like that! Just because they had one heartfelt conversation…

His cheeks burned.

_"I mean… I like Link a lot…"_

Liked him a lot… Well, if she really liked him so much then why couldn't she talk to him about all of that? Why could she tell Vega and not him?

… And what did "like a lot" mean exactly? "Like a lot" was so… it was so vague!

_"… If it was a choice between you and Vega I'd choose Vega any day!"_

The page's shoulders slumped. _Yeah… she doesn't like me like that…_ He thought. Circling around the courtyard impatiently, his mind began to race. _What does it matter that she doesn't like me that way, anyway? I mean… sure, she's pretty… but she's also naïve and temperamental!_ A hand went to the collar on his neck. _Very temperamental… But… it's also getting more and more difficult to stay angry at her for it. She says she's sorry about it and that she'll get rid of it._

His train of thought paused at that moment. When did he begin to trust her that much? Zelda certainly had proven herself trustworthy… and definitely more capable of a woman then he was brought up to believe a woman could be.

Walking back into the temple, his eyes went to Vega and Zelda. The two were animatedly talking about something with smiles on their faces. Link felt his cheeks burning again. He was jealous of the star for receiving such warm attention from Zelda.

"You look upset, nephew." Link jumped a foot in the air at the sound of his uncle's voice. The small blond man was looking up at his nephew with his usual dumb expression, seemingly delighted that he scared his nephew.

"I'm not." Link denied after regaining his composure. He looked back to the doors of the temple. "Where's Anya?"

Eugen rocked back and forth on his heels. "Oh she's busy spreading rumors about your lady-friend among the women of the Court." He said simply. The young page frowned at his uncle's reference to Zelda as his "lady-friend" but said nothing. "I just thought you should know that we openly told the Court about her, but we're keeping her whereabouts a secret for the time-being."

"What's Dragmire's reaction?" Link asked.

His uncle's grin turned malicious. "On the surface he pretends to be delighted, but my underlings have reported he's been frequenting the dungeon a lot more than usual. He's probably sending that blue-fellow of his on a wild-goose chase for your friend. His plan is slowly crumbling and he's getting quite upset."

Link allowed himself a smirk at the thought of a frustrated looking Dragmire.

"But Link, I should warn you," his uncle continued, his face now serious. "He won't rest until he finds that star. Worst of all, he may not even need him if figures out who you and Zelda are. While he may not be tracking you two, it's still important that you two don't…" The small blond man paused and his expression became unreadable.

"Uncle?" He asked. But before Link had even finished saying that one word, the small man had vanished from view.

"Ow! Hey, let me go!" Cried a female voice.

Turning on his heel, Link saw that his uncle was now on the other side of the temple, obviously holding someone down between the benches. He went on his way, Zelda and Vega following suit as they noticed the commotion as well.

"I see no reason to let you live, Gerudo." Eugen said, wearing his stupid grin while holding a knife at the throat of the Gerudo woman he had pinned down.

"Hold up there!" Vega shouted as soon as he saw the Gerudo, instantly recognizable as Nabooru. She didn't speak, but her brow did furrow as her gaze settled on the star.

Eugen, without loosening his grip on the knife at the woman's throat, turned his head to the star. The Sheikah was frowning at the star. "And what gives you a say in what I should or should not do?"

The frown on Vega's face was identical to Eugen's. "Because I know her and can tell you she's no threat."

There was an uneasy silence hanging about. The small man still hadn't removed the blade from Nabooru's neck. It was cold and sharp against her skin; she knew that even trying to escape would ensure death. Heck, she was even trying not to breathe too much because the blade so was tight on her neck.

"Please, Mr. Eugen," Zelda said while taking a small hesitant step forward. "If Vega says she's no threat, I believe that."

Still frowning, Eugen looked at Link. "What do you think, nephew?"

Link looked down at the Gerudo woman. Gerudo were fierce warriors as far as women warriors went – he knew that first hand. And he remembered that this woman was the one who tried to stop them from leaving the fortress before the Time Spinner stepped in. So what exactly didn't make this woman a threat? Zelda caught his eye. She was looking at him pleadingly. Scowling, he said, "If Zelda trusts his judgment then so do I… But I don't have to like it."

Zelda beamed at that and Link quickly averted his gaze. If she kept looking at him like that…

The Sheikah reluctantly took his knife from the Gerudo and stepped away from her. Nabooru, still a bit stunned by what had just happened, got onto her back and looked up at those around her. Aside from the Sheikah, there was Vega and the two that had helped him break out. Unpleasant memories and emotions were beginning to resurface.

Vega extended a hand to her. Nabooru glared at him and stood herself up, completely ignoring star's offer to help. "I can get up on my own."

"You ran." Said the silvertop, looking almost like a proud parent.

"There's still hard feelings!" Nabooru snapped.

The star held up his hands in surrender. "And I accept them. I was a selfish jerk, I apologize again. I don't expect you to forgive me." It was said calmly and sincerely.

Coming from his cell, Rauru had finally come to see what the commotion was all about. "Is something the matter?"

Vega made sure he was first to speak. "An acquaintance of mine seems to be in a spot of trouble. Could she stay here as well?"

The aging preacher looked at Nabooru for a moment, not seeming at all threatened by the fact that she was obviously Gerudo. "The goddesses welcome all, no matter what race." He said with a warm smile.

Nabooru said nothing, but returned her deadly gaze to the star. Vega just smiled back at her, which seemed to increase the deadliness of her stare. _Why did I have to choose _this _temple to seek refuge in?_

* * *

Anya had the strangest feeling; the feeling that she was being watched. She'd been getting it ever since she and Eugen came out with the information that a living heir to the king was available. It wasn't the first time she'd had the feeling, actually. She'd had the feeling plenty of times before when Quinn still lived. But whenever she turned around, there was always nothing. After his death, the feeling had vanished. But now it had come back, and she'd come to think that perhaps it wasn't her imagination. That was later confirmed when she approached Eugen with the information.

"Oh, is that so? It seems like Dragmire considers you troublesome if he's sending Zant to follow you! Take this." He had said, handing her what seemed like a regular ball wrapped in paper. Upon closer inspection, the Sheikah eye was inscribed on the paper along with writing in Ancient Hylian. She had no idea what it said. "Throw it down to the floor if you sense him again. That should send him running for a while."

So, walking down the deserted hallway and feeling Zant following her, she fingered the paper ball within her pockets. She wondered what would happen when she threw it. Anya probably should have asked Eugen before he left. _Too late for that now. _She thought as she entered her own quarters. Sitting in her room and looking around, she found it hard to believe that anyone could be hiding in the shadows. But then again, this Zant fellow wasn't supposed to be human. She stood, took out the paper ball and threw it down to the floor.

She did not expect what came next.

There was a bright flash of light. At first she thought it was a normal flash bomb; the type that most Sheikah used in order to cause diversions to escape or attack unexpectedly. But the light, blinding as it was, didn't feel like a normal kind of light. Although her eyes were shut tightly, the light was still burning through her eyelids. There was screaming, and it took her a moment to realize it was coming from her. But then she heard another scream. Staggering back, she tripped over her skirts and landed on her behind, toppling over the chair she had been sitting on. But the light on her eyelids was darkening. She opened her eyes a crack. The light was still strong, but standable. The light was bright gold. She could make out a silhouette that seemed to be the source of the light. It looked like a monkey or a lemur. But it wasn't facing her direction. Its back was to her and shining most of its light on a humanoid figure that was the source of the other screaming.

The light monkey then seemed to take notice of her. Glancing at her absently, it proceeded to dissipate in small orbs of glowing, golden light.

Anya gawked. She realized what she had just seen. That little paper ball wasn't just a paper ball… It was a Sheikah Summoning Orb… and it had just summoned the Light Spirit Faron. It really shouldn't have been that much of a surprise since Eugen was in charge of the Faron province but… never in her life did she imagine that she would see a Light Spirit or the type of power they possessed.

A whimpering sound brought her back to reality. Ahead of her in the corner of the room was the figure that had been screaming before, Zant. He was in black robes, and what had once been blue skin was now a deathly pale white. Anya scrambled up and went closer, each step becoming more and more hesitant. She did take a step back when she saw the face, though. At fist glance, he could've passed for human, but Zant's face was simply… _alien_. And it was even more contorted due to the attack of the Light Spirit.

Sounds came from the mouth of the cringing Zant. "K-k… k-kill m-me…"

Looking down at the pathetic mass that had been following her, she had to admit that the thought did cross her mind. The mere fact that he served Ganondorf was enough to warrant death in her mind but… something about this creature… He was just so pitiful. _All the more reason to kill him._

Taking the knife she kept hidden in her sleeves, she got closer and knelt next to the Twili. She placed the knife by his neck and pressed, ready to slash.

**_Don't be blinded by hatred, Anya. Think of the consequences._**

She froze, feeling tears stream down her cheeks. Quinn's voice… Her hand faltered and the knife slipped and slid down to the floor. She had to be going crazy… How else would she be hearing his voice? He was dead…

"P-please kill m-me…" Zant begged.

Anya looked at the Twili. His words _and_ his alien face pleaded for death.

**_Think of the consequences._**

_If it gets your voice out of my head, then fine!_

This creature longed for death. Was it wrong to indulge him? In the short term, that sounded very good. It would get rid of one of Dragmire's servants and take out an obstacle. In the long term… in the long term, it wouldn't be so good. Dragmire would instantly know who killed Zant. The Gerudo probably wouldn't be very happy to know that one of his most valuable servants was gone and she would suffer the same fate as Quinn… As much as the thought of joining him in the afterlife appealed to her, she refused to do so until Dragmire was dead. So in order to preserve her own life, she must preserve this creature's life. And that also had another benefit aside from staying alive: This Twili would owe her a debt.

Taking her knife and putting it back in the holster on her arm, she looked at Zant.

"I'm not going to kill you." She said.

Zant looked up at her with desperate, alien eyes. "Please! I… I can't go on… If you don't kill me, he'll kill me!"

"No he-"

"He has my heart!" Zant cried, forgetting his pain from the light. The pain from his death would be much worse. He just wanted to die at that moment – to be free from Ganondorf's grasp. "He can kill me no matter where I am!"

_So he'd much rather die on his own terms…_ She could understand that. "But I still won't kill you." She said. "He has your heart, not your mind."

After seeing such an alien face, Anya never thought the Twili could cry. "You're killing me, either way…"


	41. All's Puzzling in Love & War

WHAT THE HELL? Why do I always update on school nights, eh? Especially tonight because I go to school in the morning tomorrow! I'm telling you guys, I must crave the abuse or something.

Anyways, for those interested, on my DeviantArt [age (which is my homepage), I've uploaded a couple of pictures. One is of Eugen, in case you want to know more about this fucked up head case and his origins; an extremely girly looking Quinn (well, more so than usual), and - Time Spinner fans will love this - a drawing of the Spinner _without_ its hat and veil.

**Legend of Zelda 4 Life**: Hehe, you know, I never really intended for Anya to be so... Well, how she is now. XD But I think it ended up for the better. And yesss, Zant is an alien... I mean, I always thought he looked like one. Which was kind of a disappointment for me. After all the drama TP made with his helmet, never showing his face until you fight him it was like... "Oh..." It's too much to ask those Zelda people to create more pretty villains like Vaati, seriously. D:

I also apologize in advance - this is mostly a filler chapter. DDDDDDDDDDDDD:

* * *

"Anya, I'm quite testy at the moment." Said a completely non-testy looking Eugen. Just returning to the castle from the temple, the Sheikah was still not very happy that he spared the life of a Gerudo. Heading straight to his own quarters to blow off some steam, Anya came and insisted that she show him something. He was following his fellow schemer down the hall, to what looked to be her quarters. "While I trust that you're not luring me into a trap due to your perma-grief, I have to be honest and say I really have no interest in anything that may be in your room."

"Trust me, I believe this will be of great interest to you." Said the brunette woman.

She opened her door and gestured for him to follow. Reluctantly so, he did.

As soon as his senses (for he wasn't wearing his glasses and couldn't see a foot in front of him) found the injured Twili on the couch of Anya's room, it was much like a repeat of the happenings in the temple. Except this time he just attempted to throw a knife in between the creature's eyes. With unexpected speed, Anya grabbed Eugen's wrist before he could throw. Irritated, and fighting the instinctual reflex that the Sheikah training gave him to snap this woman's arm in two he glared.

"What is _it_ doing here?" He asked. Normally, even when the small man had a serious expression, his tone of voice was still somewhat jovial or joke-like. Perhaps it was from the frustration of being denied his kill earlier that day, but his tone of voice was absolutely hateful and he had the expression to match.

Anya shuddered at the sight of Eugen's cold eyes boring right into eyes and into her soul. Averting her gaze, but not letting go of his wrist, she explained the situation with Faron and her reasoning behind keeping Zant alive – even the part where she heard Quinn's voice. Eugen openly bared his teeth and growled at the Twili before putting away his knife and regaining half of his composure. He didn't have his dumb smile back, but rather a serious expression. Hateful eyes still rested on Zant. "Twice today I've been denied my kills. I am very, _very_ testy at the moment."

"You should've let him kill me." Zant mumbled, staring at the ceiling.

Ignoring the creature, she kept a firm gaze on the man-child before her to make sure he wouldn't act on anything. It was the first time she could say that he looked tense.

Surprisingly, Eugen spoke to the creature… but his tone was still terse. "Has Dragmire attempted to call you?"

"No." Replied Zant flatly. "He told me not to come to him unless I found anything of interest."

Another tense silence followed before the Sheikah spoke again, this time to Anya. "Let me know when its color starts returning. When that happens it'll be able to go into the shadows again. We can't let that happen. I'll send my subordinates to see if they can find anything pertaining to its current condition and see if it can be fixed." His voice was controlled and businesslike this time, but his stupid smile did not return. That scared Anya.

Heading back for the door, he paused and then gestured for Anya to come closer. She did so and Eugen spoke to her in a whisper. "As much as I hate to admit it, you did a good thing in not killing him… But he will continue to try and get you to kill him. Whatever he says, no matter how angering or painful, do not give into it. It was inevitable." And then he turned on his heel and left.

Anya looked back to the strange, alien-like being on her couch. What did Eugen mean by those last two sentences? Did he know something that she didn't? _Stupid question: he's Sheikah, of course he does…_

* * *

"So you went on the run." Vega said to Nabooru.

She had been sitting on one of the benches minding her own business, but for some reason the star went out of his way to speak to her. He had two perfectly good friends already, why did he have to talk to her?

"Yes I ran. Stop reminding me that it was you who told me to do it." She said it slowly, hoping that would give him the idea that she didn't want to talk to him.

"I never _told_ you, I suggested it." He said simply.

She made a noise of frustration and then snapped, "Stop telling the truth, dammit!"

"That's different…" Vega commented more to himself than to her. "Most girls want to be told the truth…"

"Any truth involving you is frustrating!" Nabooru yelled.

"You know, I remember mentioning not expecting you to forgive me, but there is such a thing as dropping the anger." He said nonchalantly. "Especially with the situation at hand."

She froze, realizing that he was, once again, right. The whole situation was told to her by the girl, Zelda. Any parts she left out, such as her royal lineage, were told to her by a reluctant Link. Even greater details were given to her by a seemingly incompetent visiting necromancer, who had left just as quickly as he came. Nabooru had always known her brother to be ambitious; she'd known that he wanted Hyrule; she didn't know the extent to which he was going to. When the necromancer had told her the true purpose of the capture of the Time Spinner…

It was actually obvious. What was the point of keeping that creature around if it wasn't to manipulate time? Even more distressing was the discovery that Ganondorf was also in possession of the Triforce of Power. Koume and Kotake no doubt knew… but why couldn't she? That's what she had been second-in-command for… The news had left her a bit down-trodden, but she never showed it. When it came down to it, as much as she hated the desert and as much as she hated living around Koume and Kotake, she couldn't bring herself to be a full blown traitor, either.

As such, her current status was very troublesome.

"Still not sure if you're going to take a side?" Asked Vega.

She didn't answer.

Sighing, the star said, "You're lucky to have that choice." Standing from the bench he headed off his own way. "Just wanted to see if you were all right. Cheers for now."

She just followed the back of his silver head. "What a weirdo…" She mumbled.

Vega wasn't stressed at all by the fact that Nabooru could go either way. For the most part, he felt that it might be best for her stay out of anything else that involved him, Link, and Zelda. If one thing was definitely for sure, it was that she needed a break from all that life was throwing at her.

Much in the same fashion that he had barged in on Nabooru's private moment of thought, Link came into his. The collared page seemed to have waited for him in the hallway where their rooms were located, and he didn't look entirely happy.

"Well, don't you look chuffed today?" Said Vega.

Link rolled his eyes. He didn't know what chuffed meant, but he knew the star was being sarcastic. When was he not being sarcastic? "What are you doing?"

Vega paused for a moment, putting his hands on his pockets and looking around curiously while he rocked on his heels. "I was walking, but now I seem to be speaking with you? Anything got your goat, git?"

Dealing with sarcasm wasn't high on Link's skill list. Glaring at the silvertop he said, "I meant what are you doing with all these girls? All of a sudden you've become Zelda's best friend and then you stick your neck out for some Gerudo you barely know."

Forking an eyebrow, Vega was beginning to catch on to something. In his mind he grinned evilly; on his face he sneered. "What's it to you?"

Just the reaction he expected. Link marched up and grabbed Vega by the collar. "I swear if you end up hurting Zelda in any wa- What's so funny?!"

The star couldn't help it. He tried to hold in his laughter but it was proving very difficult, so he couldn't keep with his act. The reaction alone told him what he wanted to know as it was. He abruptly stopped as Link held up a fist though.

"Please don't punch me; another break in my nose and I won't be pretty anymore!" He said as he clapped both his hands over his nose. He didn't care how much he had killed his masculinity then, a star's appearance was half their life.

Link smiled at that and raised his fist again, "Oh, in that case I'll go ahead."

"I'minlovewithmysister!" Vega said quickly, not wanting his nose smashed in again. He ended up shutting his eyes tightly just in case.

When nothing happened, he dared to peek open only to see a grotesque expression upon Link's face. The page put him down slowly and then began to wipe his hands on his tunic, as if trying to get dirt off of his hands.

"That's… that's disgusting." Link told him.

"All stars are brothers and sisters, you great git! We can't reproduce!" Vega snapped, allowing himself to be frustrated. Just in case, he kept his hands clasped over his nose.

"That's still gross…" Commented the page. Filing the information he just heard in his "never speak of again" category, he went on. "So why'd you provoke me like that?"

Deeming it safe to remove his hands from his nose, he said simply "To see if I was right."

Frowning, Link had to wonder what was going through the star's mind. "Were you?"

Smiling mischievously, the star shrugged. "Who knows?"

The page just let it go. It was no use trying to get a straight answer from this guy. But still… for some reason, knowing that Vega wasn't "with" Zelda changed his view on the star. Granted, he still thought that the silvertop deserved another punch in the face but he wasn't so much of a threat anymore. And he supposed since he was sorry for being a total jerk… With a lot less force than he first thought it would take, he said "You're not bad, Vega."

With another shrug, the star walked past Link – glad that most of the animosity between them was now lifted. He held in a laugh, finally understanding where the real source of Link's tension for him had always laid. He paused just before entering his room and then said, "Zelda would actually be very happy to hear it, git."

Link wasn't sure what to make of that last comment. Before he could ask what was meant by it, the star had completely retreated into his room.

* * *

Hey, I've said it before and I'll say it again: Stars are vain, vain creatures. XD They like to be pretty.

Sigh... You know. I really, really, really miss Vega with long hair. I sob because it's not coming back until the last chapter. D: OH! Speaking of which, we're nearing the end of the story. Within the next two chapters (it might be the next or the one after that), _shit is going to go down_.

Well, that's it for this week. Expect the next update when you don't. Happy Friday/Saturday.


	42. The Beginning of the End

Holyshitbiscuits, an update?! So quickly?! I'm even amazed at it. But then again, we are nearing the end - yes, yes we are. Only a few more chapters left... how much exactly... You know, I usually plan these things out so I give accurate estimations but I honestly have no idea this time around. Five maybe? I really don't know...

Oh yeah. Shit goes down this chapter.

* * *

Ganondorf was not happy. He had no reason to be happy, and all he could do at the moment was take it out on the papers on his desk since Zant still hadn't returned. All his plans were going down into the sewers. Years of planning and acting were all being destroyed!

First there was Quinn. That annoying little failure of a wizard who had managed to slow everything down… _But he can't interfere anymore._ He thought smugly. However that was the only thing that made him feel even remotely satisfied.

Six years previous he had thrown the beat Gohma into the Lost Woods, to spread darkness into the very roots of the Deku Tree itself. Perhaps it had been negligence on his part, for he hadn't checked on its progress until recently. All that he found was a thriving forest and the remains of his creature's slashed up young. Judging from how bright the forest was, it had been dead for a while… And there was still magical residue left. The star and another strong presence.

He snarled. That damned star! The Gerudo King began to wonder if it was really worth it to find him. So far, he'd proven to be more trouble than good. Sneaking into his own fortress in the desert and releasing the Time Spinner… Sealing that creature had been one of his most difficult endeavors and now it was gone before he could even use it! Worse even, Nabooru had let the star escape after that!

Tearing another paper angrily, he decided that this star had to be disposed of as soon as he made his wish.

And as if things couldn't get more difficult, Eugen – who had been his prime obstacle, after Quinn, in his effort to get the throne – had to go and tell everyone there was an heir to the throne! That was causing a world-class headache, and no one could ask the king about its validity because of his condition. Worst of all, Ganondorf knew it was true. He'd done some snooping around of his own and found out about the king's affair with a woman in the castle. He wasn't at all interested in whom the woman was, but more about the child who had the Triforce of Wisdom. He didn't doubt her existence for a moment. Fate had a way of assuring that the Triforce pieces were always passed on. But the fact that people knew she existed somewhere out there now was a big problem since people would want _her_ to succeed her father. Well, half at least. Some would prefer someone with more experience in the subject, but he would still have the chance of being outvoted…

He stopped absently tearing the papers for a moment as he noticed the one he had picked up had writing on it. He gritted his teeth and tore it up with gusto. The Gerudo had already memorized every single word of that note.

Thinking he might have to resort to hostile takeover, he sent a carrier pigeon with a message to his monster entourage stationed outside of Castle Town, telling them to be prepared to take the city. The pigeon came back a few hours later, a very quick response since the monsters had an awkward time holding any kind of writing utensil. He was very surprised to see that the reply actually didn't come from his legion of monsters – the handwriting was much too neat. The unpleasant memory of the note with the pretty handwriting flooded his mind.

**Greetings Lord Dragmire,**

**I am a member of the Order of Necromancers, traveling with my apprentice. I am aware you were most probably expecting a reply from your comrades, but unfortunately they are unable to at the moment. Due to a mishap on my incompetent apprentice's part, a disruption of the spiritual variety has occurred in your associates' camp. The spirits are proving to be quite difficult to deal with and seem to take joy in tormenting your associates. Soldiers, even in death they wish to fight… **

**But I've digressed. **

**I send my deepest apologies to you, Lord Dragmire. I don't believe your associates can do much until my apprentice and I have cleared the spirits from the area. I couldn't give you an accurate estimation, however, as to how long this would take.**

**Best wishes.**

There was no name, and the necromancer had been smart in not supplying one. Ganondorf would've surely cursed his name a thousand times over if given the chance.

He wished Zant would hurry up with any information on her… as well as if he could find any of the whereabouts of the star! Time was truly running short now…

Being thrown out of his depressing mindset at the sound of a knock on his door, he impatiently snarled at the one who dared knock. The solider, whose voice he recognized as one of his own subordinates loyal to him rather than the king, informed him that there was someone who'd come to see him. The man apparently claimed he had information he wanted.

Clearing his desk of torn scraps of paper, he told the solider to bring him in.

Koume and Kotake had always raised Ganondorf with the saying that "first impressions are everything". If they truly were then the man in his office was a sad sight to behold.

The man entering his office looked to be older than dirt. He was skinny and small, practically wearing rags and putting most of his wait a knobbly cane that matched his knobbly knees. His hair was snow-white from age, matted and tangled in his beard and the mane attached to his head. The old man's wrinkled face was giving him a toothless grin and there was a glint in the watery black eyes.

"I 'ear ye been lookin for a slivertop, eh, Mister Lordyman?" The old raggedy man said.

Ganon tried to keep his composure. "And where would you have heard such a thing?" He asked.

In a kooky cackle, the old man said, "I hear from me sister's cousin's brother, 'oo knows a lady tha knows another lady 'oo be workin 'ear at th' castle, 'oo knows this feller 'oo works wit th' soldiers."

The Gerudo lost the man at "sister's cousin's brother". After all, wouldn't that make that person his cousin? Whatever the case, he possibly couldn't get any more bad news. He told the man to say his piece.

"I be livin' in th' slums, ye knows. Not much 'round there cept more ol' coots li' me. Bu there's this temple near where me sister's brother's cousin lives. I be comin' back from there one day and I pops in t' take a looksee. An' when I do I sees this young fella thar. Bit of a pretty boy wit 'is strange hair, and he was doin' some sparkly things wit 'is hands. Dit'n know wha t' make of it so I lets it go. Then I rember me gramma tellin' me stories as a babe 'bout magical people who do tha' kinda sparkly magics. "member her tellin' me tons a stories 'bout star bein's. So I comes 'ere to tells ya."

Sure that this was just the ramblings of an old man, he sent him off (and probably much more kindly than he should have). Nonetheless, he figured it wouldn't hurt to send someone or something there to check it out. The worst that would happen was there was no result, so his situation really couldn't get any worse.

* * *

"Vega, you really should stop fiddling with your magic like that." Zelda warned, glaring at the star who was sitting so laxy on a bench. Link sat just as lazily next to him. The two seemed to be having a game rock-paper-shears. "What if someone sees you?"

Link answered for the star. "Let him do what he wants. It's not like anyone comes here anyways."

"Thank you, Link." Vega said.

"No problem."

Zelda just looked from the blond to the silvertop. "When did you two get so friendly!?" Then she quickly turned to Link, "And don't go encouraging him! We really need to be careful! Your uncle told us to lay low, remember?"

"Oh I remember," Link said, "I just don't really care what he says."

"How can you say that?" Zelda asked. "Aside from him being a Sheikah Captain, he's your uncle!"

"And he's a lousy one." Commented the page.

"He's right, Ducky." Vega piped in. "I'm the one who needs to stay behind closed doors at the moment. Tall, dark and scary doesn't know the full monty and as long as he doesn't, you two are in the clear."

Frustrated the witch snarled, "Stop agreeing with each other!" _I think I liked it better when they didn't like each other._

Vega smiled, "Oh are you jealous because Link and I are friends now?" Standing, he went and hugged the girl. "Don't worry I'm still your frie-oof!" The interruption was caused from Zelda punching him in the gut, causing the silvertop to keel over in pain. "That's going to bruise… crap… this hurts… Link, you shut up…" The page had been laughing at him.

"It better hurt!" Zelda snapped.

"Oh don't worry… it does…"

"It can't hurt that much," Link said in between chuckles. "She's only a girl after all."

"_Only_ _a_ _girl_?" Zelda repeated angrily. She had half a mind to turn him back into a wolf but Nabooru, who had overhead, went ahead and knocked Link over the head.

"And I suppose you're so much stronger since you're a man, right?" Nabooru sneered.

Link softly rubbed the bump forming on his head as he said rather haughtily, "Well of course! Honestly, I don't know how you Gerudo function properly."

Vega's pain suddenly seemed to disappear, though, as opportunity made itself very evident. Standing up straight, he ran in between Link and Nabooru before the Gerudo could yell at the page.

"Rather than just speaking of these things, why not a little sparring match? The winner gets bragging rights." Said the star. He felt Zelda's alarm but the witch said nothing.

"Tch, like I need to prove myself against a woman." Link said.

The Gerudo had originally been planning to decline as well, but hearing the page's response fired her up. "If you really _are_ a big, strong man then a friendly sparring match shouldn't be a problem." She said, deciding to add, "But I can understand if you're scared."

That seemed to do it. Link glared up at her. "Scared of you? If you really want to lose so badly, fine then."

Jeering at each other all the way through to the courtyard, Link and Nabooru already planned strategies in their minds as to how they defeat each other. During that time, Zelda went up to Vega and demanded to know why he egged them on like that.

"Link's a good swordsman, Ducky, but Nabooru has more experience. Getting beat might teach the tosser a thing a two." He told her.

She couldn't help but be a little bit amazed at that. Something like that had never crossed her mind, because while she knew about swords Link obviously knew more about them than she did. It never crossed her mind to cross swords with him, especially since she didn't have a sword (save for the brief experience after Link found the Master Sword). And since there were so few, the idea of a swordswoman beating him never really occurred to her. Zelda couldn't help but smile a bit at this because as much as she liked, even loved, Link, he did need to tone down on his chauvinistic views.

Zelda and Vega watched as Nabooru unsheathed her scimitar while Link unsheathed the Master Sword. It was hard to tell who looked fiercer. After a short time of competitive staring, Nabooru was the first to get impatient and make the first move. Much more quickly than the last Gerudo Link had fought, Nabooru feinted and then moved behind him where she attempted to slash. His own footwork being pretty fancy, Link was able to block her blade with his own, even though there was a small struggle to do so. After that, blades clashed so fast that Zelda and Vega had difficulty catching up.

The display was awe-inspiring, at least to Zelda. She could only sense mild entertainment coming from Vega, but she was really amazed at what she saw. Blades flashing and slashing at each other in a sort of dance that took years of practice.

The dance was exhausting, though. Eventually, Link and Nabooru backed away from each other and just stopped, panting heavily. They had been going at it nonstop for a while, and neither showed any sign of backing down. Nabooru stared at her opponent, surprised that a boy so young could already pass for a master. She looked him up and down, trying to find some weakness. In her mind, she replayed some of his moves trying to see what flaws in style she could exploit. Then she noticed something behind the page. A shadow… She thought nothing of it, at first until she noticed there was nothing around to cause that shadow. Even more alarming was that it moved.

"Behind you!" She cried.

Link sneered. "I'm not falling fo-" From the shadow rose a black hand that threw the page aside.

Zelda screamed and Nabooru charged at it. Vega stepped in front of Zelda and told her to prepare some spells. The shadow hand knocked Nabooru aside like a rag and then came at the spellcasters. Both released fire spells at it, but the hand just sunk back into the floor and avoided them. But then the shadow disappeared from sight. Zelda and Vega stood back to back, looking around furtively for any sign of the hand.

It came from right under Vega and grabbed him, squeezing the star painfully. He screamed from the pressure, but it was muffled as the hand retreating back into darkness. The next time he saw any form of light, the hand had thrown him into a room. Standing, he took a look around. It was dark, but not so dark as what he had just been in. This place was also damp and felt very uninviting. He opened his senses to see if they could identify where he was. Vega immediately went down on all fours and became paralyzed from the massive amount of magical energy around him… fear probably was a big factor in it too.

Vega could sense _him_ right behind from where he was, paralyzed and useless.

"It looks like that tip-off was right." Began Ganondorf, walking around to the front of the star. He got on one knee to get a better look at the shocked star, but all he could see was a mop of silver-white hair that seemed to penetrate the darkness. He grabbed the star's chin with a hand and forced him to make eye contact.

The star looked at him with mixed feelings of ultimate disdain and fear… and defiance.

The Gerudo King smirked. "You've caused me a lot of trouble… so try to imagine all the trouble I'll be giving you."

* * *

Can anyone guess what my favorite part of writing this chapter was? For those of you who can guess accurately... Um... I'll give you a cookie?


	43. Reporting

OH. HAI THAR.

Um... I don't have too much to say. Another late night update because I'm a weirdo like that. D:

* * *

"What the hell was that?!" A flabbergasted Link blurted out.

"A floor master!" Nabooru said.

"It… it took Vega!" Zelda gasped.

Link scrambled up to get to where Zelda was. She was fine, but seemed extremely shocked. "What… why did it take him?" He asked, more to himself than to anyone in particular.

Nabooru frowned. "It was him…"

Zelda and Link looked at the Gerudo's unreadable face with shock.

"But how did he-" Zelda couldn't finish, because she felt like something was wrong.

"Zelda?" Link asked.

The witch's brow furrowed and she stepped away, looking confused. She turned, looking every direction, as if expecting to find something. Then she looked up to the sky, feeling so… so _alone_. "I can't feel him." She said in just barely a whisper. She had felt him up until a few seconds ago. She felt panic and distress and an urge to stand up to something and then… then it was gone. She'd been linked to his soul for so long now that it felt strange to have it back to herself… And she was sure that was what happened.

Link went straight to Zelda. "You can't feel him at all?"

She shook her head. "Nothing…"

The page cursed and then began to pace. What would they do? Vega was stubborn and always said he refused to grant wishes, but Dragmire wasn't the type to take no for an answer. Link knew that all humans had a breaking point and, while he couldn't be sure of a star, he was sure they had breaking points as well. He'd only be able to last so long… The chances of a hostile take over were low at the moment, at least until the necromancers couldn't keep their diversion up for much longer. And the news of an heir could only last as long as Vega remained as stubborn as a mule. Because if he broke, he and Zelda were doomed.

The page sighed. "I have to go see my uncle." He said.

"I'm going with you!" Zelda piped up.

Link shook his head. "No – and it has nothing to do with you being a girl."

Zelda frowned. "Than why can't I go?"

"You're the heir," Nabooru answered for Link, immediately understanding the situation. "If anybody finds that out, that's one less for my brother to find. And if you really do look like a woman that used to live at the castle, one of the older staff might recognize you."

"She's right." The page said. He put his hands on her shoulders. "We'll get him back and stop Dragmire." And then he left with a running start.

Frown still on her face, Zelda just watched him leave.

"I really don't understand what you see in him, but I suppose he's got a good sense of duty." Nabooru commented.

The witch blushed. "He does…"

Link had only paused once through his running to the castle to sneeze. He didn't give it a second thought and just continued running at a steady pace to keep his lungs from working too hard. As much as he wanted to run at full speed, he needed to send the message quickly; being out of breath was not an option. The only time he really rushed was when he was at the castle gates. He just stood still long enough for the guards to recognize them and then plowed on through before they could ask any questions. He had made it to the large front doors when,

"Link!" It was Odran and he didn't sound very happy.

He couldn't be sure of how far away the Captain of the Guard was, so he continued for the door until he felt something grab his collar.

"Where the hell have you been?!" Shouted the man, yanking Link back by the collar.

"Ah… I'm not sure what to say… or if you'll believe me." The page said, not quite sure what to do in the situation. He'd focused on only getting to his uncle that he didn't even think of what might happen if he ran into his superior. But he had to get back to business. "Sir, I'm really in a hurry-"

"I don't really care if you're in a hurry, boy!" Odran continued to shout, never losing his grip on the collar. "I expected you t' be gone for a week or two, not two months!"

"Yeah, it's a very interesting story and I'd like to tell it but I really have to-"

"Really have to what?!" Odran asked angrily. Had Link not been used to the man's scarred face when it looked angry, he would've been panicking.

"I have to see my uncle. It's really important."

"An' why do you need to see him? You hate the man." Said the captain flatly.

This time, Link did really have to think about his answer because Odran was right. As far as family went, he and Eugen were family only in name and not much else. So he had to come up with an excuse that maybe Odran could relate to. "His… his cat died."

Odran's brow furrowed. For a second Link thought that his superior might've seen through his flimsy excuse but when no comment came, he continued. "His cat died and… he really needs to know. He loves that thing a lot and it would be so much better for him to know rather than finding out when he returns to Faron."

While the man's expression was still hard, something in his eyes seemed to soften. Then they hardened again. "Yeah, and how would you know?"

"You said it yourself, I've been gone two months." Link commented, hoping his voice didn't sound as shoddy as the story he just came up with.

Finally, the older man seemed to be getting teary. He let Link go. "Fine then. You go tell your uncle 'bout his cat…" He sniffed. "I mean… when Sir Whiskers died during the war…"

The page wasn't quite sure what to say to that, so he just hesitantly patted the man's shoulders and left. As soon as he entered the castle and turned the corner, he ran. Link had always heard about his superior's affinity for cats but… _It's no wonder he's never married._

"Link? What on Earth are you doing here?"

He couldn't believe he was even thinking it, but it was just the voice he wanted to hear. He backtracked to the corner he had just passed to his uncle standing there with great surprise on his expression. The expression then went to one that most people took as Eugen's normal goofy look. Link shuddered as he recognized that the smile was not goofy, but angry and intimidating. "I believe I told you not to leave the temple."

Closing in on his uncle he whispered, "Vega's been taken."

That seemed to change everything. "By whom?"

"Who do you think?" Link asked brashly.

Cursing, the small man paced back and forth for a minute. Then he paused and looked to his nephew. "Come."

Surprised at how fast his uncle moved with such short legs, Link found himself having trouble keeping up with him at a walk. But the walk wasn't too long. Eugen had lead him straight to what seemed to be the Province Holders hall. The small blond man immediately went for Anya's quarters and opened the door, not even bothering to knock. However, he paused as he opened the door, looking almost shocked. Link forked an eyebrow wondering why. Eugen did his Sheikah disappearing act and Link rushed in.

The whole situation was very confusing for the collared page. Anya, a look of absolute rage on her face, seemed to have been stopped from plunging a dagger down on her couch by Eugen, who had taken out his own knife and blocked the attack. What Link had a hard time understanding was why the woman would want to attack her couch? Did the color displease her? He examined the couch more closely only to see why she might be outraged.

He remembered, not long after his adventure with Zelda had began he met the fellow on Anya's couch. Zant looked a bit different now, though. His blue complexion was a nasty grey color now and he seemed to be upset. Link had a thought to take his own sword and finish Dragmire's servant, but if Eugen was stopping Anya from doing so, he obviously had a good reason.

"Link," Eugen spoke with unnatural calm. His eyes never left Anya. "Close the door."

He nodded and did so.

"Anya. Be so kind as to tell me why you are doing what you're doing." It was not a request.

The woman's teeth were bared in a growl, her gaze focused on what was behind the blond man. "It's his fault." Her voice had such hate in it that it almost didn't sound human. All the while, the pressure she had against Eugen's blade never loosened.

The small Sheikah sighed, and his face went to something that Link had never seen before: sympathy. He never let his knife go, however. He continually matched Anya's pressure, even though it was obvious that he could overpower her in an instant. "Yes. Investigations by other Sheikah prove that it was in the king's room… Chances are that was how Dragmire found out"

"Then let me kill him!" Anya screamed, attempting to overpower Eugen and failing.

"Remember what you heard Quinn's voice tell you." Said the Sheikah calmly.

That was what broke Anya down. She wailed and fell to the floor in a heap, dagger dropping from her hand. Eugen sympathetic look turned to pity as he looked at the bawling mess before him. Putting his knife away, he turned to the creature on the couch.

"You really want death so much?" He asked Zant, his expression returning to the eerie smile. The sickly looking Twili just glared at him. "I'd be most happy to grant your wish after we deal with your master. As for now, things seem to be looking kind of down. Now tell me: If your master came across a star, where would he keep it?"

The alien eyes of Zant widened. "He found…" And then he laughed an insane laugh. "If he found him then we're all dead!"

"And that's what you want anyways, so tell me where he's keeping him." Something about the way it was said made Eugen seem even creepier than usual.

"If you really want to hurry to your own death that much faster, then sure." Zant said, still not seeming quite right. "The old dungeons, the ones they don't use. That's where he does everything, really. But for the star he's probably really deep in there; maybe in a hidden room. I don't know. He never told me more than I needed to know, even if can kill me in a moment's notice."

And then stupid Eugen came back. With his serious attitude, a heaviness seemed to permeate around him. Now he was back to having his non-threatening vibe and his truly stupid grin. "Link, go take Anya to the doctor's tent. She isn't sick but she shouldn't be here, either. Then meet me back in the main hall."

The page nodded and reluctantly took Anya's shoulder. The woman was now just whimpering rather than bawling, but she didn't seem to be very aware of what was going on. And that reaction was just from remembering something about Quinn…

After he delivered the woman, he went to the main hall. Just as he said he would, Eugen was waiting.

"Thank you for telling me that so quickly, Link!" Eugen said cheerily. "I'll walk with you back to the temple and tell you what we'll do!"

Link had to admit that he wasn't sure he liked knowing that his uncle was a professional spy with a license to kill, because seeing him employ interrogation tactics… well, Link couldn't really see him as a stupid idiot anymore… even if he still was at times. So the idea of his uncle walking back to the temple with him was very unnerving.

"I'm going to ask you to stay put in the temple for the moment," his uncle said. He held up a hand when Link was about to object and then continued, being careful to use words that would mean anything, "With what just happened we'll have to run around now and get things done quicker. So just go and tell your friend to be ready to go at a moment's notice."

After that, it was silence until Link finally said. "Anya loved Quinn."

"Yup." Eugen said. Despite his happy face, he voice didn't sound that cheery. "She hasn't stopped wearing black since."

Looking down at his uncle, Link had to wonder. "Do you like her?"

The Sheikah didn't seem at all surprised by the question. He just shrugged. "I guess I am getting a bit attached to her, even if she is a slut!"

Link wasn't quite sure how to register that in his brain. Eventually he just brushed it to the back of his mind. There was no use even trying to begin to understand the way his uncle's mind worked.

* * *

_OH NO I DIDN'T_. OhwaityesIdid...

We get into the action... NEXT CHAPTER. Um... no accurate guesses as to when that'll be, though. D:


	44. Death

Short chapter of extreme crap. You've been warned.  


* * *

Vega hawked out the mixture of saliva and blood swelling in his mouth and cackled. "Sorry, I thought it was your grandmother striking me." He managed.

Ganon sighed as he looked at his captive. To say he wasn't enjoying hitting the star would be a lie, but he wasn't quite sure how the star hadn't broken during the process. He was chained to the wall, arms suspended over him, ankles firmly chained to the wall… Unless the wretched Time Spinner came and helped him again, there was no way this star was going to leave, and surely he recognized that. Add the fact that there was quite a firm stone wall behind him, beatings were even more uncomfortable than they would have been if the star wasn't bound.

"You really do insist on making the situation _this_ difficult…" Mused the Gerudo.

"Tch. I've told everyone around me about a thousand times: I'm not granting any wishes. Period."

"You have to be one of the most stubborn people I've ever met."

"Thank you." Said the star with a proud smile.

He gave the silvertop a flat look. "That wasn't a compliment."

"And that only makes it more of a compliment to me."

Rolling his eyes, the Gerudo walked to the exit. He'd give the star a short reprieve… mostly because if he wasn't seen any time soon, someone would notice.

When he was sure Ganon was out of sight, Vega then groaned in pain. The man's bulk was no lie. Vega grimaced as he was sure a few teeth had been knocked loose… And that crooked nose he was trying to avoid was now unavoidable. His back was pounding, his arms were aching, and he was sure he was bruised just about everywhere. Torture wasn't enjoyable. He could safely come to that conclusion now.

The star spit out one of the teeth that had gotten loose. Rather than despairing, Vega actually found himself quite angry. As long as he lived, he was not going to grant any wishes – especially from Ganondorf! But how long could he talk like that? With his connection to Zelda severed… That was when the despair kicked in.

He groaned again, but this time not from pain. Alone. Memories that he would rather have no remembered made it into his mind's eye. The loneliness that only Estrella seemed to be willing to cure. And when he came to Earth, he was alone again. No Estrella. And then there was Link and Zelda. Annoying at first… especially when Zelda bonded his soul to hers. But at least then he was never alone. Now was different from then. He'd gotten too used to having friends…

Looking up to the ceiling, he actually found himself doing something no star had ever done before: pray. Stars had little to no faith in anyone or anything except for their parent, the moon. But perhaps it was being in such a dreadful situation that was making him have any strand of faith.

"Goddesses, my lot doesn't have much faith in you… I can't say I have much faith in you either. But you must be doing something right if the people who pray to you have such faith in you.

"I'm not asking for anything for myself. I've been much too selfish lately. I could actually care less about what happens to me. As much as I may reconsider, I'll never do what that brute says. But even if I don't do a thing, those two aren't safe. And since they're representations of _your_ virtues, I feel it only fair that you protect them. You already put in enough crap on them as it is. Blimey… they're only kids… You must get some sort of sick kick out of this."

He frowned, realizing that his first prayer probably wasn't a very good one. "Ehm… Anyways, my point is that written history isn't always accurate. Especially when big chucks of it are left out; such as the fact that good doesn't always prevail over evil. The reign of Ganondorf is always so terrible that once a new hero does eventually rise up and defeat him, they completely erase it from history. And I'm afraid something like that may happen. And I really don't…

"Zelda and Link… they're like fungus. They grew on me. They're my friends. I could care less if I die, I can safely say that. But if those two die, I can also safely say that I will have a world-class shit fit in the afterlife and will never let you hear the end of it! So protect them, dammit!"

It was perhaps the worst prayer uttered by any living thing, Vega thought. But hopefully, the goddesses were willing to overlook insults and threats. _Ah, who am I kidding? I should do a brownnose version, just in case that first one cheesed them off.

* * *

_

Zelda didn't like being told to sit still while Vega was in very obvious danger. She worried even more because she couldn't even tell if he was in pain or just fine (though she had her doubts that he was just fine). Paranoia and moodiness were just a few of the things that made her unapproachable to Link, as much as he wished to speak with her. Now more than ever he wanted to tell her that everything was going to be all right.

Nabooru was also having a rather bad time of the situation, as well. Once again, she had no idea where she stood on the playing field: a pawn for the Gerudo or her own self that made her own decisions. She definitely wanted to be the latter, but she was raised as a pawn. To leave something one had been their whole life wasn't easy.

But action seemed to want to come sooner rather than later. It was the very same night of the very same day that Vega had been kidnapped when a man barged right into the temple. The first thing noticeable about the man was that he was soaking wet. Other than that, he was a very angry man with long black hair. It took the three a few seconds to recognize the sandy cloak and realize that the man was one of the necromancers. They had no doubt it was the master of the duo.

Upon spotting Zelda and Link, he pointed in their general direction. "You're going to that damned castle and beating the shit out of that damned Gerudo. Not tomorrow or the day after, you're going in ten minutes."

They were shocked at the crude language that the master necromancer used. Normally he spoke very politely and calmly. Now he sounded like some rogue.

Finally, Rauru came out and asked the question everyone had on their minds. "Good goddesses man! You're soaking, what happened?! There hasn't been a single cloud in the sky all day!"

"It was those damned Gerudo witches literally raining on my parade. Sorry, did I say witches? I meant bitches." He snapped bitterly.

"Wait, witches?" Nabooru perked up. "What did they look like?"

The necromancer's angry glare went to the Gerudo. "Old and ugly, but one's fire and the other's ice."

The desert woman's eyes narrowed into feral slits. Koume and Kotake.

"But where's the other one of you?" Zelda asked the black haired man.

"Telling Eugen that you two are moving now." Said the necromancer. "Now hurry it up! Those hags are about to cause mass mayhem near the town soon – can't have them figure out who you are." It was then he seemed to notice something. "Where's the silver haired fellow?"

Link quickly explained.

"Then what're you still doing standing around!? Get your damned sword!" The necromancer practically shouted.

"What are you going to do about the witches?" Zelda asked the necromancer.

He responded with an ugly frown. "Nothing. After this I can't interfere anymore."

"Then I'll handle them." Nabooru stepped up. Both magic users looked at the woman skeptically. Seeing that look, the Gerudo flared up. "I may not be able to use magic but I have a score to settle with those two!" She could've said more, but she had a feeling the rage on her face made it absolutely clear what else was on her mind.

The necromancer examined that look in her eyes and smirked. "Fine then. They're yours. Kick their wrinkly asses into the next ten years."

Feeling a great deal of satisfaction, Nabooru nodded and left the temple. At the same time, Link came back, sword over his shoulder.

"Good. Now you two go straight to the castle. If my estimations are correct, Eugen should be waiting for you by the time you arrive." He said, seemingly having calmed down a bit from his rage… but just a bit.

Both Zelda and Link looked at each other for a moment with worry. But they nodded, feeling confidence swarm within them and rushed out of the temple.

From behind, Rauru shouted, "May the Grace of the Goddesses guide you!"

They both raised an arm in a gesture of thanks, but kept running on. Destiny was calling them, and they were going to answer. Inhibitions hadn't come to mind yet, so they didn't dare dwell on it as they went. And just as the necromancer had said, Eugen was waiting there for them. They had expected his goofy smile, but they were becoming all too used to his grim look. Next to him stood Anya, looking stoic. Even as they neared, they could sense a dreariness coming from the castle.

Link noticed a subtle change in the guards that made his stomach lurch. They still stood at the ready, looking straight ahead, but the normal sash they wore around their waist was gone - a sash that held a very important symbol.

An extra flag was being added to the flagpole. Directly underneath Hyrule's traditional flag, a hawk carrying the Triforce, was a plain black square.

Zelda's brow twisted upwards, full of worry. She looked at everyone's depressed faces. "What does that mean?"

Eugen sighed and said, "The necromancer's anger was wiser than it first appeared, though probably completely unrelated to the current situation."

The witch had expected Link to make an angry retort to that, but he said nothing. He seemed to know exactly what Eugen was talking about.

So she did the angry retort. "And what does that mean!?"

"What it means," began Anya snappishly, "Is that a half hour ago, the king took his last breath. He is dead."

* * *

Next chapter is interesting, I pro-... Wait a second. I'm not promising crap since I don't even know what the next chapter's going to be! D: Eh, but I guess I can promise that it will be more interesting. XD

Anyways, for those wondering what happened to Mr. Necromancer, Koume and Kotake threw a river on him and his apprentice. Yeah. A river. Not fun.


	45. Down Into the Darkness

... 4 AM... I am INSANE.

But that's what I get for playing Okami until 2:30 AM and then deciding to finish this chapter. D: I gotta say, though. I'm loving that game, crazy and nonsensical as it is. I think Waka is rivaling Vaati on my favorite video game pretty boys list. D:

* * *

The last three words had tremendous impact on the duo; however, Zelda suffered the most from it. Not from grief, she could not grieve for a man whom she had never met, but from the other implications that it brought on. If she was the only living heir, then that meant a whole kingdom would be her responsibility. She knew nothing of politics or courtly manners and matters, add to the fact that she was a witch she was sure she would never make a good impression on the people.

Perhaps sensing the insecurity within her, Eugen said, "Now is not the time to worry about succession." Glancing at the guards, he chose his words carefully. "There are other things we need to take care of first. Come." He paused for a moment, then glanced at Zelda. "Keep your hat's brim low."

Anya and Eugen turned on their heels and went ahead. The two clumsily followed. Zelda fumbled with her hat, trying to keep it over her eyes yet at the same time trying to find her way. She blushed madly when Link took her hand to guide her.

"That's fine, right?" he asked, hoping he wasn't getting ahead of himself.

Zelda, her hat's wide brim shadowing her face to hide her ever reddening face, just nodded. "Um, yes…"

They walked for a while more until they reached a doorway that link didn't think they would be heading for. Eugen took a breath and then resumed his normal stupid look. His eerie smile wasn't being forced at all. The Sheikah looked back to them and said brightly, "Since the king has just passed and there is no heir, an emergency meeting of the provinces was called. The goal is to finally choose a successor, but the plan is to finally reveal the dirty truth!"

Anya said nothing but her face held a sadistic smile. Looking at both the adults smiling so nastily, it occurred to Link that two would actually probably be very good together.

Eugen continued, "Anya will make the accusation, and I'll back it up."

"But how?" Zelda asked. There was more than one question in that.

"We won't say anything about you just yet," Eugen said. "But to put everything simply, more than one dirty truth will come out."

"We still want to keep you close," Anya put in, not sounding at all like she wanted them close. "You'll come in with us, but you won't say a word. Is that understood."

Link grudgingly nodded and Zelda mumbled a soft "yes".

Without saying another word, the doors opened with seemingly no one opening them. The province holders walked in, the two adolescents following closely behind. They were not the first to enter, nor were they the last. Carolus and Damodara, the Goron, and Dragmire had yet to arrive. Anya and Eugen took their normal seats and Link and Zelda stood in between them, trying to ignore the eyes that lingered on them. Odran especially was eyeing Link with an expression of confusion and slight irritation.

Damodara and Carolus entered soon after they arrived. They still had to wait a bit before Dragmire entered, though. But Zelda could sense him, even when he hadn't entered the room yet. His presence was that terrifying. His magic was raw power… But then again, he was the holder of the Triforce of Power. It was to be expected… but she never thought it would be so heavy of a presence. It was so heavy she wasn't able to pay much attention to what was being said. It was formalities, she was sure, but she was more intent on just trying to see what this man looked like.

She chanced a peek from under the brim of her hat and then quickly lowered her gaze again. He was very obviously Gerudo… but after meeting Nabooru, she knew that being Gerudo didn't automatically make a person evil. But from that one look at him… she shuddered a bit. He was evil. He was truly, truly evil. In fact, she remembered something Vega called him that summarized this man perfectly: Mr. Evil Incarnate.

The witch was drawn into the conversation when she heard Anya speak.

"I must apologize the council. I have not been completely honest in everything I've said."

There was a murmur going about the room. Link noted that Dragmire gave her a questioning glance. The woman ignored it. Instead, she went on. "It has to do with Quinn's death."

"Now, now, dear Anya, I know you still grieve for him but we all know he was murdered." Carolus said, horse-like face looking at her with pity.

The Province Holder of Eldin shot the man a nasty look. "I never said he wasn't murdered. The identity of the murderer is what I lied about."

"Don't say anymore, Anya." Dragmire said firmly.

Just as she ignored his questioning look from before, she ignored the statement. "There were only two people present when Quinn died. I came in when the killing blow had just been struck… by Ganondorf Dragmire."

There was complete and utter silence.

Dragmire was the first to break it. "A bold accusation, Anya, and completely false. It's, as Carolus has said, that you still grieve for him. It's obviously warped you memory."

"No, I think her memory's quite clear." Eugen said cheerfully. All eyes now went to the blond man. Dragmire now glared in his direction. "Investigation has shown that no one entered the castle at the time of Quinn's death – not even an assassin."

"And how would you know that?" Jerrick of Ordana asked gruffly.

Eugen's smile broadened. "I haven't been truthful with you all either. What is the truth is that I have two occupations… Province holder is my second. My first and foremost job, however, is Sheikah Captain 6: District 4, the Borderlands." As he finished, three shadows in the room solidified and took the shapes of humans. And they were humans. They were Sheikah. Eugen continued, "My underlings here will gladly vouch that everything that Anya has said is correct. They'll also confirm Quinn's last writings, which hold Lord Dragmire in suspicion of being king of the Gerudo, suspicion of the king's illness… and subsequently, his death not yet an hour ago."

The silence felt like it lasted for eternity. Ganondorf Dragmire, the king's advisor and friend for six years, had cursed the king and killed him? It was the thought process of those who hadn't known of the treachery beforehand.

The silence really only lasted about half a second before all hell broke loose. Odran, being nearest to Dragmire, was the first to act. He unsheathed his sword and went straight for the Gerudo. But Dragmire had already thought two steps ahead. Before Odran's sword was even fully unsheathed, the whole room went black. Not even the Sheikah in the room could see through it, only the caster of the spell.

So the Gerudo king wasted no time escaping, resisting the urge to completely obliterate everyone in the room. He was angry when things weren't going as planned. He was absolutely furious now that everything was going down the drain. If there was one thing he had never counted on, it was Eugen being a Sheikah. Curse words echoed within his brain. If Eugen and the other Sheikah already knew as much as they did, what else did they know? And now that he thought of it, Zant hadn't shown his ugly face in quite some time. Briefly, he considered killing the Twili right then and there, but figured that they already got what information they needed out of him and killed him promptly. As much as he wished to be sure, though, now was not the time. At the moment, his only chance was the star. He needed to get to the star and move it somewhere else…

Eugen was quick to realize that Dragmire would make such a move. "Anya, watch the kids!" Not giving her time to object, he left the room quickly. Being near-blind already, the black cloud wasn't an issue for him.

Anya, in the meantime, didn't want to watch the kids! Nor could she really given the state of the room. But she wasn't about to about to defy anything he said. The only problem was that she had no idea where the two were. She called their names, hoping she got them right. But with the commotion going on with confused politicians and representatives, she wasn't sure the two heard her.

Someone, a woman it sounded like, screamed something in some foreign language. Anya did recognize some of it as components of a magical spell and found out what it did only seconds later. The blackness had lifted and everyone was staring at the one who did it. Zelda was standing on top of the table, arms spread out and breathing heavily. She looked around, suddenly feeling very embarrassed.

"She… she looks just like…" Jerrick sputtered. Carolus just nodded blankly.

Link had jumped up on the table and grabbed one of Zelda's arms. She stumbled, trying to keep up with his run as he went across the table while snapping, "Hurry up!"

Anya cursed and followed suit, ignoring the sudden questions from the others in the room.

Zelda had managed to keep up with Link's pace, and eventually he let go of her. He seemed intent on going somewhere, but she had no idea where so she asked him.

"The dungeons!"

"Why there?" She asked.

"That's where they're at! We get to the dungeon, beat down Dragmire and save Vega and Hyrule!"

She frowned and resisted the urge to just stop him and say what was on her mind. So instead she just continued to run while saying what was on her mind. "That isn't a good plan."

"I'm making it up as we go!" Link said. "If you come up with anything better, not that you would, let me know!"

As much as she wished she could've come up with something better, she couldn't. So they kept on their way, Anya joining them not much later and telling them off. She wasn't, however, making any attempt to stop them. She knew that wherever they were going, Dragmire would probably be there and if he was there…

Ganon made it to the dungeons without any delays. He was grateful to whatever deity allowed it, for it certainly wasn't any of the goddesses, not even his own patron goddess. His prisoner was exactly where he had left it, not that it could've gone anywhere. But it looked up at him, almost pleased at his troubled look.

"Well, someone seems a bit brassed off. Things not going your way?" Vega asked pleasantly.

If looks could kill, the Gerudo's gaze would've surely killed the star in half a second. He was halfway to getting to it when something wizzed past him. He recognized the dash of yellow as Eugen's blond mop. The Sheikah had tried to use his superior speed to make a slash at him, but Dragmire didn't let him. He grabbed the smaller man's knife arm and squeezed. It snapped like a twig, causing Eugen to squeal like the child he so appeared to be. Smirking, Ganon then proceeded to throw the blond across the room. The Sheikah slammed into the wall hard enough for a crack to form and dust to fall from the ceiling. Eugen fell with a thunk and stopped moving.

Vega watched the whole situation in horror. He didn't know much about Eugen, save that he was a very good Sheikah. And if a very good Sheikah was taken down in less than fifteen seconds by this one man.

"That's the look I like to see." Ganon said satisfactorily as he focused his attention back on the star. Not moving from his current spot, the chains of the star came off but his body was still immobile. Dragmire still had him tied with magical bonds.

"Dragmire!"

The Gerudo King almost jumped. He glanced back to see a blond boy and a blond girl coming down the stairs with Anya following them. The boy was the one who had spoken, and he seemed ready for a fight. He had his sword out… and for some reason, it unnerved him. He didn't let it show.

"Let Vega go!" he cried out.

Ganon glanced from bond to silvertop. "Is that its name?" He asked, not really caring for the answer. "I can't do that. It still needs to do something for me, and you had all best stay out of my way or suffer the same fate as Quinn…" He gestured towards Eugen when he added, "And the Sheikah."

That caught all three of them off guard; they all looked towards the fallen Sheikah. Dragmire took that chance to stamp on the switch to the trapdoor beneath him, disappearing deeper into the dungeons with star following closely behind. He didn't care that the silvertop had cried out. Let them follow if they dared…

Link and Anya had went immediately to the trap door upon seeing Ganon disappear through it. They both cursed and considered follwing until Zelda shrieked.

"What is it?!" Link asked frantically with sword held out.

"He's alive!" Zelda squealed. She had stayed to check on Eugen. Upon turning him onto his back, she saw that not only was he alive, he was still conscious. And crying.

"It… it hurts…" Eugen squeaked.

The page and the woman went back to where Zelda was, looking over Eugen. Link knelt down and double checked the Sheikah. He grimaced.

"It's bad… he may not make it… and if he does he probably won't be able to use the arm." He said.

"It hurts…" Eugen squeaked again.

They all looked at him pityingly, but Anya was the first to say, "We still need to go after Dragmire."

"But we can't just leave him alone!" Zelda protested.

"It's either that or that or let him get away!" Anya shot back.

"Or," Link interrupted, "One of us can stay here."

"And who do you suppose that should be?" The older woman snapped. Both teenagers looked at her.

She refused to have it but before she could voice her objections, Zelda spoke up. "It's not your destiny. It's ours."

That silenced Anya, but she was still pursing her lips for something to say.

"My uncle needs you right now. Or do you really want Dragmire to get away with killing someone else?"

And that was what finally got Anya to grudgingly nod. He was right… "Fine then… Go."

Giving her one last look of concern, they stood and went down the trap door. Anya just sat near the crying Eugen, watching him become more pitiable with each passing moment. Something inside of her objecting to seeing it. She didn't like to see him like this… Nobody would've. Eugen, who was normally always smiling no matter what the occasion, was crying and looking more like a child than ever.

She considered leaving to get help, but when she made a move to get up, Eugen cried out even more. "Don't leave! I… I don't wanna be alone!"

"You could die." She told him.

"But… I don't wanna be alone…" He whimpered. "Please stay, Anya… please…"

She frowned, but sat back down. "Just don't die. A crying face looks strange on you. I'd like to see your creepy smile once more."

* * *

Pfft, I seriously cringe at the thought of Eugen acting like that. It's not out of character, but to see him vulnerable... weird. Also, just so you all know, Anya doesn't really think anything of Eugen beyond strange ally.

We'll be checking in on Nabooru next chapter.


	46. The Fall of Twinrova

A Nabooru chapter!

...

I have nothing to say until the end!

* * *

For the longest time Nabooru had always thought that magic was unbeatable. A person who didn't have magical power was inferior to one who did. She had come to this conclusion because she was raised under Koume and Kotake, who had always seemed to favor her brother, Ganondorf, for his magical abilities.

But now her opinion had changed. Magic could be beaten. Nabooru was sure of it. Her short time at the temple allowed her to think about it, and even then her head was racing with how many possibilities there were to be beating Koume and Kotake. There tactical advantages that could be utilized within Castle Town and put the witches in more trouble than they were used to.

As she neared the gate, she could already hear the cackling of the witches nearby. Just hearing their voices made her determination blast within her. She turned the corner and saw the witches floating on their brooms, cackling as they seemed to debate what to use on the nearest building, fire or ice.

"Hey!" She cried out to them. The two witches froze and looked her way, a look of shock and rage on their faces. "Remember me?"

"_Kyaaah!_" Koume screeched. "How dare you show your face to us!"

"Disgrace to the Gerudo!" Kotake added just as angrily.

Nabooru smirked, a plan having already formed in her mind. "Come catch me if you can!" And then she ran back. She heard them shrieking behind her, the sounds of the cracking and age-worn voices coming ever closer up behind her. She wasn't nervous. She had actually been counting on that.

She turned into a narrow alleyway. The witches followed suit but were quite surprised with what happened afterward. They had been flying at the same pace, side by side. When they had turned into the alleyway, they had jammed themselves stuck. Both were unable to move. They squawked and struggled as they tried to get themselves unstuck. Unable to do so, they shouted insults at Nabooru.

"Insolent brat!"

"Stupid girl!"

"Traitor!"

The younger Gerudo feigned a yawn. "To think you two would be beaten by walls… The girls back home will have a laugh at that." She said. "But there is one way you can get out of that."

The twin witches silenced, knowing what she was speaking of. "Don't be stupid, Nabooru. No one, save for your brother, has ever seen that form and come out alive." Kotake told her.

"So then what's the harm of not showing me? It's not like you two have any intention of letting me live. Plus if I'm going to show to you just how much of a better Gerudo I am than you, I want don't want to cut corners." Nabooru was using fighting words on purpose. Koume and Kotake were such moody old biddies, they wouldn't stand for her talk. She smiled as she got her desired reaction.

"You think you're better than us?!" Kotake blurted out angrily.

"Presumptuous little girl, we'll show you who's better!" Koume shouted just as angrily as her sister.

What came next was, in Nabooru's opinion, anticlimactic. She had thought that what the witches were about to do involved some sort of flashy spell with weird words she couldn't even begin to comprehend. Instead, the two old women shouted in such a way it sounded as if they were constipated. In one of the most disturbing sights that Nabooru could ever claim to see, the two old women were merging together. She felt her gag reflex trying to work as the process continued, but it didn't get more gruesome as it continued. In fact, it did just the opposite.

After a few minutes, where there had been two, ugly, short old women stuck in a wall, the brooms had fallen to the floor and where they had been was something quite different. Floating up in the air with no visible support was a tall and beautiful Gerudo woman. Twinrova. Nabooru had wondered what the fearsome witches looked like when combined. She had not expected this.

"Now, dear," started Twinrova, gently lowering herself to the ground. She looked extremely satisfied with herself. "Which would you prefer? Fire or ice?"

Nabooru feigned thinking about it before she said, "I prefer strategy, actually."

She charged at the witch with her sword at the ready. Twinrova smirked, as if expecting such a move. Nabooru could feel the air begin to freeze as the witch prepared a close range ice spell. Koume and Kotake had probably never noticed it, but Nabooru could easily name any spell the two had cast. All Twinrova had was juiced up versions of their old spells. When Nabooru had reached the minimum range necessary for Twinrova to unleash her spell, she jumped, stepped on Twinrova's head and landed on the floor.

"Try to catch me again!" She said cheerfully. From behind her she heard a flustered Twinrova shouting unpleasant things at her. They probably thought her a coward for all of this, but she was intending to fight… on her own terms. She refused to fight in such a place where other people could easily get involved. In such a state, Twinrova would have no problems getting other people involved. She needed to get to the nearest abandoned place there was within the city, because she knew the witches would know what she was up to if she went for the exit. Besides, the place she was heading for was ideal for defeating Twinrova.

She sighed in her mind at the reminder that this was inspired from Vega. Not the plan itself, but the location she was heading for. Back when she had first met him, she directed him to the graveyard. No live people were in a graveyard. But she was sure that they had passed by people who recognized two Gerudo women. She still had to be quick about this battle. Her only regret was that the battle would involve more strategy than swordplay.

As soon as she ran into the graveyard, she started banging on nearby tombstones with the hilt of her sword. Nothing was going happen as a result of the banging until Twinrova came. That was when the fun would really begin.

And the fun was going to begin very soon. In a rage that Nabooru dared run away from her again, Twinrova rushed into the graveyard. She paused for a moment, taking in her surroundings and rolling her eyes. Nabooru had chosen this place for the lack of nearby civilians, but it was a poor choice. There was too much space and not enough places for Nabooru to be able to hide herself. The area was more suited for a magic user than one reliant on a sword.

"You're stupider than we originally thought." Twinrova commented.

Nabooru merely smirked. "Am I really? Give it your best shot, then." In actuality, she was getting quite scared. The next step of her plan involved letting the witch attack her. Nothing would happen if magic wasn't being flung everywhere. But being hit meant death, so she would have to do a lot of running. She just hoped her legs were faster than the magic that Twinrova sent after her.

The witch sneered. "I suppose this is an appropriate place to use Hellraiser."

That was not in Nabooru's plan. She'd never heard of any spell that Koume or Kotake knew called Hellraiser, but she did know she'd be finding out soon. Twinrova unleashed a flurry of ice based spells at her. The younger Gerudo back flipped out the way for the first attack, then just scurried around like a rat as she felt the icy spells land behind her. She heard some squawks of surprise behind her, coming from nearby poes who had probably just been knocked from their homes by the cold flurry. Well, that was one part of the plan going smoothly. But things began to go awry when she noticed she was running out of space. Nearly the whole graveyard was covered in ice.

Twinrova then stopped the ice attacks. She smiled at Nabooru, who looked like she was understanding the meaning behind Hellraiser. The witch held a ball of fire in her hand. "There's no escape from this."

Nabooru cursed. Twinrova had never been aiming for her. She'd been aiming for the floor. Cover it all in ice and then-

The witch's fire went from ball to wave, covering sheet of ice. Heat met cold, sending steam flying into the air. There was no way to avoid it. She couldn't run out of the graveyard without slipping on ice, and jumping over would be pointless if she would be steamed like a lobster. Her plan meant nothing if she was going to die! Nabooru cursed, refusing to die in such a manner. Magic could be beaten if the appropriate measures were taken, right?

All of a sudden, the fire stopped, and the remainder of ice even melted. Both Nabooru and Twinrova looked baffled. A row of dark shapes came from the ground, lanterns idly floating by them. The poes that had been squealing before were now staring down both Gerudo. The one who seemed to be leader stepped up.

"What is wrong with you?!" It shrieked in a warbly voice. "No respect for the dead, destroying our homes like this! Ugh, if only my Master was here…" It paused for a moment… "He might not do anything… But he would at least chastise those who dared to injure his most loyal servant, a right which only he has!"

"What on earth are you talking about?" Twinrova blurted out. "You shouldn't be able to speak you're just a-"

"Just a what?!" Snapped the ghost. "Just a poe? We have feelings too, you know! … Well, most of us do, anyways!" It was at this point that the ghost made a very bold move. It got up in Twinrova's face and shoved a claw-like finger into her as she spoke. "And we do _not_ appreciate having our homes wrecked!" From behind it came an uproar of agreement from the other poes.

Nabooru was just glad that she seemed to have been unnoticed. While she admitted that poes were a part of her plan, she hadn't expected them to be this much a part of it. She just wanted to bang up the tombstones to draw them out, but Twinrova seemed to get all their attention with her fire and ice.

Twinrova clicked her tongue in irritation and made a swipe at the ghost in front of her. A rather useless tactic since her hand just phased right through it, but the ghost backed off anyways. But only so it could scream, "_Charge!_" so it and the rest of its brethren could go and attack the witch. She screeched angrily, futilely trying to pull ghosts off of her.

The non-magical Gerudo was about to put her sword back at her side when Twinrova did something unexpected: she split into two again, reverting back to the original old biddies that constructed her.

"Kyaaaaah!" Kotake shrieked. "Stupid dead people!"

"Let's teach'em, Kotake!" Koume said.

Much like the ghosts, they seemed to have completely forgotten about Nabooru – for the moment at least. But they would make short work of the poes now that they were able to fly about more easily. She had to get step two of her plan in action now. She looked around the graveyard for a specific marker. It was something she only heard of in rumors, but was sure it was true. Where there were the dead, there were the weapons that could defeat the witches.

Doing her best not to be noticeable, she tiptoed about the cemetery, looking carefully at each tombstone. She finally found the marker; a grave with a faded red x on it. Knowing that the situation nearby wasn't going to last longer at all, she looked around for something, anything, that she could sue to dig with. She gave up on finding something quickly enough and just used her hands. What she was looking for was not as deep as she thought; a blessing in her eyes. It was a thick wooden floor. She dug outward from it to find a heavy, but old padlock over a latch. She broke the padlock with her heel, which she was sure would cause her pain later. As for now, she tore a piece of her pant leg and stuck the torn cloth into her ears, then got behind the wooden slab and lifted the latch which lifted the slab. As soon as it opened, she heard the muffled sounds of the witch's doom.

It was a screaming sound that seemed to pierce into one's soul. The screams even seemed to cause the poes to float away in fear. The sound immediately caused the witches to topple from their broomsticks and onto the floor. They couldn't move, but Nabooru could.

Taking out her sword, she prepared herself for what was to come.

"Stupid girl…" One of the witches, she couldn't tell which, growled. "What… have you… done?"

"The screams of the ReDead are pretty horrible. They can paralyze a person, magically inclined or not. Unless you have something to block out your ears, you're pretty much doomed."

"They'll… come after you too…" The other witch grumbled.

"I know, but I can still move and I can defend myself. But they'll go after you first. They're beings composed of dark magic, after all. They'll like how you two taste. And if they come after me somewhere in between you two, I'll cut them down. But most likely by the time they're done with you, those two necromancers will be here to take care of them." She said coldly, watching as a corpse dragged itself from the hidden door, shuffling to the witches. It screamed, and another screamed behind it. They were all screaming in such a way, there were no intervals between them.

"It looks like you two hags were wrong. I may not have magic, but I outdid you two. I planned this all out." Nabooru said triumphantly. She began to stray from the grave of ReDead, taking the long way out of the graveyard. "I won't stick around, though. I don't think I could stomach the sight of them eating you. Maybe if you're lucky, you'll catch one of the necromancers and they can give you your dying rites. Toodles."

She did her best to sound as nonchalant about it as possible, but she did feel bad. As much as she hated Koume and Kotake, they had still raised her… And death by ReDead wasn't pleasant. She began to run. She was sure the necromancer at the temple knew already, could sense the magical corpses shuffling along, but she wanted to tell him to go there so they could have their final rites…

* * *

DOES ANYONE RECOGNIZE THE LEADER OF THE POES?! I SURE HOPE SO! What can I say, I miss Poe. Much like Quinn, I wish i could use him in something else but I can't. I mean, I couldn't even use Poe in an original story simply because he's a poe. Ah well...

This chapter gave me extreme difficulty, though. I had a seriously hard time trying to figure out how Nabooru would beat Koume and Kotake directly, so I went with indirectly. That still proved to be very hard until ReDead came to mind. I feel kind of bad for coming to that conclusion. Being eaten by zombies doesn't sound like a particularly fun way to die. D:


	47. Puppet

I haven't mentioned it but we're about two or three chapters from the end. I'm trying to get it to last until chapter 50... because 50 is a nice solid number that's much easier to remember than 49. I can easily say I like numbers that end in five or zero. So yeah... here's to hoping I can stretch it out a bit until 50!

Oh, and be warned: Someone's a bit of a potty-mouth in this chapter.  


* * *

Link had jumped down first. Despite how dark the pit looked, it wasn't that deep. Zelda jumped down a moment later and let a little flame flicker from the palm of her hand. Link considered telling her to stay behind, but knew doing so would be useless. They looked at each other, nodded and walked ahead down the only path Zelda's flame and the glow of the Master Sword showed.

The dark hallway went on and on. How much time they spent just walking, they didn't know but it felt like an eternity. They were sick to their stomachs with the knowledge that ahead of them was evil incarnate, waiting for them. It probably wouldn't take him long to figure out that the two had come for him were the very people he was searching for.

The hall finally seemed to have a light at the end, faint but enough to identify as an opening. They didn't speed up, but just continued to walk.

The end of the hall was not what they had expected.

There was a hole high in the ceiling, allowing a view of the night sky, a new moon. There were only stars dotting the blue-black sky, but they seemed to illuminate the whole room. It was a very spacious circular room with a dais in the middle. Within the dais was etched Hyrule's traditional hawk-Triforce symbol. On the walls were etchings of columns with multiple designs both on the pseudo-columns and the walls. Standing at the back of the dais was Ganon, smiling pleasantly. Vega was glaring at the man, seemingly having been thrown on the floor and still unable to move.

"I figured out who you two are." Dragmire said, raising his voice so it carried to the two teenagers. "The exact two needed to complete the Triforce." Link and Zelda said nothing, and the Gerudo continued, "The king's illegitimate heir and Odran's favorite pageboy. There's always someone to bear a Triforce it seems, no matter how unworthy."

"Look who's talking." Vega spat.

Dragmire sighed and glanced at the silvertop with disdain. "You're useless now. You can leave." And he released the binding spell.

The first thing the star did was lunge at the dark man, who merely stepped aside and avoided the attack. He had forgotten all pain and was about to lunge again when Zelda shouted, "No, Vega!"

He looked back at her, surprised.

The witch looked at him worriedly. "Leave. This is our fate, not yours."

Link nodded and then said with a smirk, "You were always complaining about how you never wanted to get caught up in this. Now is your chance. Go on, leave." He said.

Vega just stared at them blankly. He wanted to say something but… all he could do was open and close his mouth because no sounds were coming out.

"Leave!" Zelda shouted again.

"You're beat to hell! You'll just be a burden!" Link yelled out after her.

The star flinched like a wounded dog, and hesitantly began to wander out. A burden…? Was he just a burden now? As he limped away, he stared at the floor ahead of him. The only exception was when he was passing the two adolescents that he had come to call friends. He paused and stared at them sadly. They ignored him, their full attention on the Gerudo ahead of them. With a heavy heart, Vega exited wordlessly.

After a moment, Ganon spoke again. "Now that you've saved your dear friend, what do you plan to do?"

Link held the Master Sword in front of him readily. "We're going to beat you, of course."

"Big words from a child." He said matter-of-factly. "You obviously don't know what you're up against.

"And those are big words from you." Zelda said firmly.

Ganondorf chuckled. "I suppose they are, but they're true. But I'll allow you a choice: Hand over your pieces of the Triforce and live, or don't and force my hand. If I kill you two, your Triforces will become mine just as easily as if you'd hand them over. I'd rather avoid unnecessary killing, so I suggest you go with the first option."

"Not much of a choice," Link said with a sneer, his grip on the Blade of Evil's Bane tightening, "Because we're willing to fight."

The Gerudo shrugged. "Fine then." And with the speed that he had countered Eugen with, he jumped back and waved an arm to the side.

Before Link or Zelda could react in any way, shape, or form to Ganon's action, something seemed to fall on the dais before them. It really hadn't so much fallen as it had just appeared out of thin air. What it was, neither could identify immediately. It appeared to be just a lump of deep scarlet. After a moment in which nothing happened, Zelda and Link just looked at each other in confusion. If it was a distraction of some sort it was lousy, because Ganondorf had remained in the back of the room, smiling quite satisfactorily. The only thing about him that wasn't remaining still in any way were the hands held out in front of him, fingers moving ever slightly.

Then something snorted.

Their focus returned to the scarlet lump, which was now twitching. Yellow eyes opened on the lump and snort began to form on the scarlet mass. The nose forming on the lump snorted again, as it stood on newly forming hooves. Tusks grew from the mouth of the snout, a ruddy tail formed at the back, the back was slightly hunched with a mohawk of hair serving as a small mane crawling down its back. What had once been a lump was now a scarlet boar, snorting angrily and stomping its hooves just as irately.

And it left them no time to gawk. With an angry boar scream, it lowered a thick head at them and charged.

Link grabbed Zelda and jumped off to the side. They landed roughly, but were otherwise unscathed. Zelda was quick to get up and stare at the boar, though, which was skidding to a halt before it hit the wall. She compared the movement s of the boar with Ganon's hands.

"It's not real…"

"What?" Link asked he scrambled up.

Zelda couldn't answer immediately with the boar coming in for a second charge. They ran away to the side, just barely managing to escape the boar's furious rampage.

"It's not real!" She repeated. "It's just a magical construct being controlled by Dragmire! Just a puppet!"

"So we just have to get to the puppeteer!" Link concluded.

They dodged another charge of the boar, both noting that it was becoming increasingly difficult to do so. A fourth charge would hit them.

"But he's not exactly going to let us get near him." Zelda said. The boar was making for another charge, stamping its hoof on the ground before it came at them. Pressed for ideas, the witch just said the first thing that came to her mind, "I'll try to disintegrate it with fire! While it's burning you can go around and get him!"

Link just nodded. He really couldn't see what else they could do, because he had a feeling that, Master Sword or not, to physically try and beat that thing was out of the question.

The boar made for its next charge, screaming bloody murder. Zelda stayed in place and sent all her fire power at it. Had Link not been paying so much attention on trying to get to Ganon, he would've been in awe at the power that the witch was unleashing. So instead, he was in only in awe at the sweat suddenly pouring from his face while sneaking and keeping his gaze on the Gerudo puppeteer. At least until he noticed Ganon suddenly yank on the invisible strings of his boar and a sucking noise came from behind.

The page found himself immediately abandoning his original intention to see what was going on and if Zelda was in any danger. She was. The sucking sound was coming from the boar. It had opened its tusked mouth and was sucking the fire that Zelda had launched at it. After clamping its mouth shut, it snorted. Flames belched from its nostrils, almost like a warning. Link immediately ran back to Zelda and dragged her out of the way before the boar unleashed what was clearly not a warning snort.

"It's a dragon?!" Link blurted out as he ran.

"Magical construct!" Zelda corrected him as if she hadn't just had two streams of nostril fire aimed right at her. "A really powerful one!"

With a scream, the boar began to chase them with nostrils still literally flaring. There was no way they could outrun it.

"Maybe if we split it up suddenly, it'll get confused!" Link said.

"It's a _puppet_ – it doesn't have a mind of its own!" The witch reminded him.

The flames behind them stopped; the boar had run out of Zelda's magic. But it still gained speed on them. Its thick head made contact with their backs, and then it swung its head to the side, sending the two adolescents skidding on the boar shredded dais. Both cried out in pain as torn stones shredded the flesh on their sides. The boar had caught up to them quickly enough, but stopped in front of them and just stamped a hoof.

"Is that really all you two have?" Ganondorf asked from the back. With an almost disappointed sigh, he went on to say, "I expected more from Triforce bearers. But if you're going to be this pitiful I'll give you a bit of time to try and plan something."

The dragged themselves up and stared daggers at the Gerudo, who merely smiled pleasantly. They weren't worried about the boar looming over them. As long as Ganon held the unseen strings, it wouldn't do anything.

"Let's use that arrogance to our advantage Link." Zelda said softly to him. "Just be careful what you say. He might be using the construct to listen in on us."

Gritting his teeth, he looked back over at Dragmire. "I doubt it. He's full of himself and probably really does want to give us a fighting chance."

"Whatever the case, it's better to be safe than sorry." She said. After a moment she pursed her lips and went on, "As long as his puppet's around, I don't think we'll be able to get to him."

"We could try attacking it now," Link suggested, but he caught himself before the witch could tell him, "But he's probably thought of that already… It has got to have _some _sort of weakness."

"Not any that I can immediately see…" She groaned. She chewed her thumbnail, trying to think of something before Dragmire's patience wore out. Both she and Link were pulling complete blanks… until Zelda finally came up with what she labeled as a desperation plan. "I do my best to try and get his attention so that the boar aims mostly for me, and you attack its legs."

"No." Link said right off the bat. "Absolutely not."

She frowned and then snapped, "Now is not the time to judge what I can do just because my reproductive organs are inside of me!"

"It has nothing to do with that!" He spat back. He was completely honest this time. The moment she jumped down the trapdoor with him he was opposed to her coming along, and not just because she was a girl.

She had been about to tell him not to lie and that she knew he was really thinking she couldn't do it, but Dragmire took the time to announce, "Time's up. I hope you've prepared something."

The boar did its stomach wrenching scream and stamped its hooves again. It looked as if it was about to smash its head down on them, but even if they moved at that exact moment, they wouldn't have been able to escape. Both were thinking, _I'm going to die_. Both embraced each other and shut their eyes tightly. The boar's head lowered at an alarming speed. There was a thundering smash…

But it wasn't because the boar had crushed Link, Zelda, and the floor under them with a sweep of its thick skull. It was actually because a wall of stardust had come in between the puppet and its intended targets.

"_Bloody friggin' idiots! That is the last time I listen to _your_ bollocks!_"

There was no guessing as to who it was. Both opened their eyes and looked behind them, mouths agape. And just as they had expected, Vega was there and looking extremely angry.

"Not tied into your damned fate – I was tied into your damned fate the day you cursed me, ducky! Telling me to stay away…" He growled in frustration, "You might as well tell me to _fuck off_! But I suppose you didn't need me to get _your_ asses out of the fire! Now get up and stop gawking!"

The two just stared at him blankly for a moment before scrambling up while Ganondorf stared at the star with annoyance. None of these kids seemed to know when to give up.

* * *

It's very, very difficult to come up with fight scenes with Ganon because you always think back to the games. Well, I do at least. So to be different, I decided to have not go Mr. Piggy. The closet we get to that is Mr. Puppet, who is a combination of the TP Piggy Ganon and Puppet Ganon from WW. Did I mentioned that I hated Puppet Ganon. Like I really did. It was probably because I was fighting it for an hour before I realized my Light Arrows weren't working because I had no magic power... AREN'T I SMART GAIZ?!

I'm sorry, I rambled. Anyways, since I'm so near to the end, expect another chapter within the next few days. I think I might end up crapping myself because I'm so nervous about writing the end chapters. D:


	48. The End of a Puppet

I was hoping to get this done yesterday but that didn't happen. D: I'm pretty sure the story will end at Chapter 50 now. That makes me mildly happy. Mildy because that means I had to cut this chapter off to get it to 50.

Also, in this chapter: Vega = Epic Phail.

* * *

"But Vega-" Zelda began.

He glared a glare that stopped her midsentence. "_I_ am the goddesses gift to man! If that's not good enough for you, you'll have to _stuff it_ because I'm sticking around whether you like it or not!" Without saying anything else he dropped the stardust shield and faced the boar.

Both Link and Zelda were awed. The way the star was holding himself, despite the bruises and bloodied face… it was like he could beat anything!

But that appearance was a lie. The boar screamed and knocked him into a wall as if he was a rag doll.

"That was…" Link started, but couldn't quite finish.

Zelda finished for him. "Anti-climactic."

"Foolish." Ganon mumbled.

Just as he was about to throw his puppet back on the adolescents, Vega staggered up.

"I meant to do that." He said rather unconvincingly. The silvertop swayed a bit as he walked back to where his companions were. "I just… got caught up in the moment…"

"Keep telling yourself that," Link drawled.

"Oh, taking the mickey are we? Ungrateful wanker…" Vega mumbled.

"Well, since we can't understand him, I guess he's all right." Zelda said.

"Are you three done?" An annoyed Ganondorf asked, not really caring for the answer. "Because my puppet is getting quite impatient."

Sure enough, the boar swiped its tail from side to side while snorting angrily.

"Ducky," Sternly looking at his companions he quickly said, "You and I, we'll be distractions for the puppet and the puppeteer. You for the puppet, I'll take the puppeteer. Git, when the boar's not paying attention to you, attack it. Do _not_ go for Dragmire. We need to get rid of the boar first."

As much as Link wanted to say the boar couldn't do anything if Dragmire was gotten rid of first, he didn't. He was sure the star would explain later, if there was a later.

They split up, all heading off to different directions. Zelda remained in the same general area, deciding to use magic involving kinetics rather than elemental magic for fear of the boar absorbing it and throwing it back at her. Bopping it on the snout seemed to catch it off guard, however brief. Link prowled around nearby Zelda, waiting for the right moment to strike the boar or step in front of Zelda if need be. And Vega went straight for Ganon, preparing to be the biggest nuisance he could be.

Being a nuisance was something that Vega figured he was good at. After all, he had managed to annoy Link so much that the page broke his nose with a mean left hook, he was really good at annoying his sister, and Ganon had already expressed his disdain for Vega's constant interferences all over his face and other parts of his anatomy.

Seeing that the silvertop was coming straight his way, Dragmire pulled his hands back, hoping to get the boar to knock the star away. He was very surprised (and angry) when he found that despite the strength he was putting into his pull, his hands barely moved at all. And that was because Zelda was pulling on the boar, knowing what Ganon had planned to do. During that time, Vega managed to get up into Dragmire's face.

"'Ello again, minger!" He said cheerfully, almost nose to nose with Dragmire.

Irritated, the Gerudo went for a headbutt. Vega leaned back quickly, but not in a way that said he was in a rush. He could feel the invisible strings tugging at his fingers straining again and he heard the boar scream. He attempted to look around the side to see if he could see his puppet. The star just stepped in his line of vision again.

Ganondorf growled in annoyance. He couldn't move too much, or risk moving his puppet. If he moves his puppet too erratically, he could risk damaging one of the walls and attracting attention from outside. No one knew of this chasm, but if there was a collapse of walls, people would be sure to see that it was investigated. To the Gerudo, it seemed he had no choice but to transfer all control into one hand. He didn't want to have to use the last resort just yet.

The star had to admit that he was very surprised when the Gerudo's right hand shot at him and no reaction came from the boar behind him. For the first time in his life, he was grateful to have shorter hair. Had it been its normal length, Ganondorf probably would've been able to get a fistful of silver and quite possibly break his neck.

Back with the boar, both Link and Zelda had noticed that the movements of the puppet were strained. They were already pretty strained to begin with, what with Zelda restraining it as best she could and then link aiming for the construct's legs. But the movements were even stiffer than before. It flailed around but had trouble managing its footing and sometimes just didn't move at all. Both were willing to bet that Vega's distraction of Ganondorf had a great deal to do with it. The Gerudo couldn't focus on controlling a boar and trying to hit a star at the same time.

The giant puppet had lost its footing and fell to the side. Link immediately went in, aiming for the fleshy stomach.

When the puppet had first been summoned and Link and Zelda were running from it for their lives, they were under the impression that this puppet had no weaknesses. It's not that the puppet didn't have them; it's just that that its weak point was obscenely hard to get to without some sort of distraction to foul up the puppet master's movements. That and it wasn't an obvious weak point as it didn't look different from the rest of the boar's body. It was at this moment, when Vega had distracted Ganon to the point where he couldn't control his boar very well, that Link and Zelda discovered the construct did have a weakness. And that weakness was the stomach.

The master Sword bit the pseudo-flesh of the boar, which screamed in outrage more than pain. Link had thought that the bade just left a shallow cut, and he was right. What he hadn't expected was the shallow cut burning the edges of the fake flesh and turning it into quite the grievous wound. Or it would've been a grievous wound if the puppet was a living thing. It was still a big enough wound, however, to show Link and Zelda something quite important: despite the fact that it looked heavy and menacing, the beast was hollow.

Link ran back as the wound on the boar stopped burning and it scrambled up. Zelda noted that Ganondorf did manage to finally give Vega a good smack in the face. The star staggered back for a moment, keeping in mind how close he kept coming to a broken neck because Dragmire kept aiming for his face. It was like everyone around him wanted to smack the pretty off of him. But duty still called, and he once again jumped in front of Ganon's view, not allowing him to see the damage caused to his puppet.

"Get out of the way!!" Dragmire snarled, making another lunge for the star's annoyingly cocky face.

Vega dodged and put on an expression mocking deep thought. "I don't really feel like it."

And as Dragmire still attempted to get the star out of his way, his control on the boar was still loosening. The boar's movements were even stiffer and it was barely moving at all, making it even easier for Zelda to push it back on its side again and Link able to go and slash at its exposed belly. And while the Gerudo couldn't see, he had a very good idea of what was happening to his puppet. He let the invisible strings go on his left hand and then punched Vega in his smug mug.

The left hook was enough to get Vega to spin on his heel dizzily while mumbling, "Afters and a cuppa… sounds lovely…" before falling to the ground.

Rather than finishing the star, Dragmire looked to the two who had been watching the scene now that they were undistracted. Now that the boar was just a half-corroded husk without a controller, it just stood still. To bring that boar back would be more trouble than it was worth especially when half of it was missing. But it still had a use.

Before the page and the witch could think of what to do next, the boar beside them starting letting out a ghastly smell. Zelda immediately cupped her hands over her nose.

"What _is_ that smell?!" She asked disgustedly.

Link just stared at the boar. Unlike Zelda, he didn't cover his nose. In fact, he took a deep whiff of it but widening his eyes in alarm. "Sulfur… he's going to blow us up!"

"What?!" Zelda asked in a panic, forgetting the smell completely.

The page grimaced as he looked at his shield. He highly doubted it would be able to protect himself from an explosion, let alone himself and Zelda. And then there was Vega, who was mumbling nonsense on the floor quite a distance away. So much for defeating Dragmire and saving Hyrule…

It was almost as if the Master Sword sensed the pessimistic thoughts coming from Link. The blade had a habit of emitting an ethereal glow at all times. This time, it flared up almost blindingly. And somehow, Link knew what the sword was saying. He didn't know _how_, but it was telling him what to do.

"Zelda, quick! Get Vega over here!" He said, knowing that the boar would blow any second.

The witch had acted as soon as Link had said her name. Using the magic of kinetics that she had applied earlier on the boar, she pushed Vega towards them. The sudden movement didn't seem to bother the downed star, as he just dreamily mumbled something about koracs spinning around in his vision. Zelda had no idea what a korac was nor was she curious. What she was curious about was how were they were going to live through this.

In the middle of that thought, the boar exploded.

Zelda feared for the worst and shut her eyes tightly. Surprisingly, all she felt was a huge gust of a wind that blew her hat off. She opened her eyes and looked around. There certainly was an explosion, but it was going around them rather than hitting them. It wasn't Vega, because he was still deliriously incapacitated, and she wasn't doing anything like a barrier. Even she had, she doubted very much it could take the kind of pressure the explosion was letting off. She looked at link, to see him standing against the exploding boar, the Master Sword held in front of him.

She involuntarily gasped at the sight. The Sword was shining angrily against the flames that dared try to pelt it. The force coming at them was being deflected by it, not even touching the mystic blade. And Link, standing unwavering with the blade, hair whipping his face from the force of the gusts coming from the Sword's deflecting of the explosion, looked truly like what Fate had made him: a hero, the Wielder of Courage. And as if to emphasize that point further, the Triforce of Courage was glowing brightly on the back of his left hand.

The pressure, flames, and wind were dying down. Link remained still, Zelda still gaped, and Vega still mumbled incoherently.

And Ganondorf certainly didn't expect what he was seeing. Despite the enormous amount of rage rampaging inside of his mind, on the surface he just narrowed his eyes at the page.

Link just glared back. "What say we settle this like men?"

Ganondorf chuckled. "It would be more like man to boy, but if you insist."

"Link, no!" Zelda said quickly.

The page paused and looked back at her. He grinned confidently. "I can beat him. Don't worry."

She pursed her lips, but she also knew the hidden message behind that smile. He didn't want her to stop him. Instead, all she said was, "Be careful."

He nodded and then proceeded forward, his grip on the Master Sword tight. Both he and the Blade of Evil's Bane looked forward to this battle.

* * *

Next chapter will be the last of this battle. Chapter 50 will go on to show what happens to everyone. Expect the next chapter within the next two to three days. Hey, if I go fast enough, you might even get it tomorrow or in a few hours. Lessee.


	49. The Triforce

The second to last chapter. OH MAI.  


* * *

Ganondorf, having been raised among the Gerudo, was more than proficient with a blade. He did not, however, like swordplay very much. The only reason he really wore the sword at his belt was for ceremonial or decorative purpose. If he needed to be rid of someone, he much preferred having someone else do it for him, or having it done discretely, as he had done with the king. Quinn, having been a particularly troublesome nuisance, was a special exception that rule.

And so was this boy who challenged him, mostly because he was in possession of the Triforce of Courage.

Both the page and the Gerudo were on the dais, each holding their swords in their respective styles. Like two predators about to fight, they circled, each waiting for the other to make the first move. Link went in first. Their blades met, singing outrage at meeting each other. Just as quickly as they met they parted and stepped back quickly. Ganondorf went on the offensive, slashing at Link horizontally. The page stepped back, blocking another attack with the Master Sword. When Dragmire made a move to make another slash, Link found an opening and went for it.

And so the fight went, back and forth, back and forth. Zelda was watching so intently that she hadn't noticed Vega grown and sit up.

"Cor blimey, it feels like a brick hit my face." He muttered, rubbing the side of his face that Ganon had struck. It was then that he noticed Zelda watching Link and Ganondorf dueling. He stood up and brushed himself off, moving next to Zelda. "How long have they been at it?"

The witch was surpised at Vega's sudden presence, but didn't jump. "Not long." She answered. "But it seems pretty even…"

Vega couldn't tell if she was right or not. This wasn't anything like Link's fight with Nabooru. That fight was graceful. It showed that working with a blade was an art. This fight, however, was not like that. Both were fighting to kill, and it was obvious from the way they held their swords. This was not a friendly sparring match where one would hit the other with the flat of their blade, then shake each other's hands at the end as a sign of good will. This was all out war, and war was not pretty.

Ganondorf's offensive was becoming even more dangerous as the fight progressed. Link found himself permanently on the defensive and he found that keeping his distance and waiting for an opening was the better option. The only issue with that plan was that Ganondorf wasn't letting Link keep his distance, so the page was constantly on the run.

"What's the matter, pageboy? I thought you said you could defeat me!" Dragmire taunted as he slashed at Link.

Cursing, Link jump rolled away. He didn't try to attack; he knew that if he did that Ganondorf would strike back easily.

"I thought so…" Vega mumbled.

Zelda grimaced. "What do you mean…?"

"I've told you before that Link is a pretty accomplished swordsman. He managed to fight with Nabooru on even terms. But this is different. Nabooru was second in command. Dragmire is first in command." The star said.

"So?" The witch asked somewhat defensively. It was a little stupid, she thought, because she knew what Vega was getting at.

But the star explained anyway. "Link is at a blinding level for a boy his age, but he's still a teenager and hasn't had the experience that makes a master swordsman. Dragmire has, not to mention he has the advantage of the Triforce of Power. At this rate…" The star bit his lip, not wanting to finish.

Zelda looked at Vega worriedly. "Isn't there anything we can do, then?" She asked frantically. She remembered the page's hidden message, how Link said he didn't want to her to interfere. She didn't care.

Vega looked at her and then cocked an eyebrow. "There might be something you can do…"

"Tell me!" She said.

The star debated in his head whether or not this would be a good idea. Normally, the bearer of Wisdom figured out this bit on her own, but Zelda was raised without the knowledge of the power she held. At the same time, would doing this be defying Fate? He certainly didn't want to suffer at the hands of the Time Spinner for defying Fate… 

_Ah, sod it._ He looked back at her. "Keep your pecker up, ducky, you might be able to do something. Have you ever held a bow in your life?"

She shook her head.

"Hmm, neither have I…" He mused. But he brushed that aside. "You've probably seen it, though. Anyways, pretend you're holding a bow."

Zelda looked at him skeptically but did as he said.

"Now, form an arrow in your mind. _Don't_ close your eyes."

_This is so stupid._ Zelda thought. She imagined her imaginary arrow in between her fingers being held against her imaginary bow. _What's the point of this?_

"Now, here comes the very important part. Think of something good. Think of something that makes people happy. The happiest you can think of, and channel that into your arrow." She just looked at him doubtfully. "Don't look at me like that, I'm telling you this will work but you have to believe it'll work." He snapped.

Gritting her teeth, she told herself he was right. If she was so cynical about the situation then of course it would never work. Nodding to herself as a way of self-assurance, she firmly gripped her imaginary bow. She thought to herself: What were things that made people happy? Games were fun for children, and adults sometimes. Games caused happiness… and people's favorite foods.

"You're thinking too small." Vega commented.

The urge came to the witch to ask how he would know what she was thinking but she didn't. She had to keep focused. Broader, she had to think broader…

Syrup and Maple came into her mind. The two that had been with her at all times until not long ago. Syrup, a grandmotherly figure, maple a sisterly one. Despite the fact they sent her off, they were her family. Family… having family was something to be happy about. And friends! Friends like Link and Vega, who she was happy to be around. They made her laugh, they had fun, they were people she could talk to about anything. Her friends…

She felt something solidifying in her fingers, but even though her eyes were open, she wasn't truly looking at anything. She felt like there was one thing missing. There were other things that made people happy… Her eyes were finally looking, and they rested on Link.

The arrow in her fingers was solid and golden and she needed no further instruction. Aiming at Ganon, she let the arrow loose.

Ganondorf quite literally didn't know what happened. Something hit him in the back and sent a painful shock through his system. It wasn't really so much as a shock as a seemingly never ending stream of unimaginable pain.

"Brilliant, ducky!" Vega exclaimed as the Gerudo collapsed onto his knees in obvious pain.

As dishonorable as Link found that to be, and as much as he would've liked to have told Zelda off for interfering, he didn't. His pride was hurt, but she had probably just saved his life with that strange, glowing arrow. And now he had to finish everything. Master Sword in hand, he went over to where the cringing Gerudo was. He raised the Blade of Evil's Bane over the dark man, ready to let loose the finishing blow. But he hesitated. Link had never killed a person before, and the pressure of just about to be doing so had hit him at that moment.

And that was the worst mistake that Link could've made. In the seconds that he hesitated, Dragmire recovered. He grabbed Link's sword arm, and much like he did with Eugen, he snapped the arm like a toothpick. The page screamed in pain as his sword clanged onto the ground. The scream grew louder as he lifted the teenager off the ground.

Zelda cried out for him and readied another Light Arrow. The arrow flew towards Ganon, who had seen it coming and warded it off with a blast of kinetic magic. He then used the binding spell he had used to bind Vega to bind the star again and to bind Zelda. Both star and witch fell to the ground, struggling to escape inescapable bonds. Link threw a punch at Ganon with his right hand, which the Gerudo easily caught.

"It's over for you and your friends." Dragmire spat. He glanced at the page's broken arm, looking at the back of the hand where the Triforce of Courage gleamed. It slowly disappeared from sight.

Satisfied, Ganon threw the boy aside, much like he had done with his uncle. The only difference was that he added the binding spell to the boy, just to make sure he wouldn't get up. He walked over to where the witch was and knelt down, glancing at the back of her right hand. There were protests and yells from all sides, but he didn't hear them. He only saw Wisdom, glowing angrily at him. A diabolical smile crept onto his face as Wisdom disappeared from the girl's hand.

"All three pieces of the Triforce…" he began in just barely a whisper. He rose up, looking at the completed Triforce mark on the back of his hand. "With these three, I can wish for anything I desire."

He lifted his hand into the air and a blinding light filled the room. When it died down, descending from the heavens from open ceiling above were three golden triangles, forming one large triangle. The Golden Power lowered until it was two feet from the floor. It was his… It as finally his! And these brats all around him couldn't do a thing to stop him! He was victorious!

The Gerudo laughed. It was menacing, haughty and, most of all, crazy. And now that he was assured that nothing could stop him, he looked down upon the three who had so futilely tried to stop him.

"You've lost and none of you ever had a chance of winning. I admit, you all had me worried, but everything worked out for me in the end. Quinn couldn't stop me, Eugen couldn't stop me, and you three little kids couldn't stop me either." He hissed with an evil grin.

Link and Zelda remained quiet, hating themselves for having lost and doomed the entire kingdom. But Vega smiled a smile that said he knew something that Ganon didn't know.

"You're sure you've really won?" The silvertop seemed clearly amused about something.

Angrily, the Gerudo turned on his heel while saying, "I summoned the Triforce, no one can…" The pause came because someone else was there and their hand rested on one of the gold plates of the Triforce. And it was the last person that Ganondorf Dragmire had ever expected to see touching the Triforce.

Anya stood unflinchingly in front of the Triforce. She had no expression but her eyes were clearly looking and Ganondorf. "What's wrong, Dragmire? You seem a bit baffled." She said.

The Gerudo, throughout all of his trials, had been good at keeping his anger under the surface. It had now exploded. In what seemed like an instant, his hands were clamped over Anya's neck, ready to choke the life right out of her. And that only angered him more, because Anya's expression never changed. Even when he could tear her head right from her body without even blinking, she appeared as calm and collected as ever.

"'Whosoever lays their hand on the Triforce will have the deepest desire fulfilled,' that's how it goes, correct?" Anya said. It was a question that everyone already knew the answer to. "It's a right you cannot take from me."

The Gerudo's hands desperately wanted to feel the life drain from the woman's body. But he resisted and instead sneered. With the most unpleasant tone ever heard on the earth's surface he said, "Planning to bring your darling Quinn back?"

For the first time since she had arrived, she chuckled. Anya smiled sadly. "He was never my darling. His last words had nothing to do love, Dragmire. His last words lead me to this spot so I could thwart you. There was never anything between him and myself. He tricked you even in death." She said cheerfully.

Ganondorf was left without words. He had killed Quinn thinking it would prevent the wizard from interfering… and instead, he was interfering through Anya. Her burning desire to avenge the wizard's death had lead her here and allowed her to lay her hands on the Triforce. And there was nothing that Ganondorf Dragmire could do to reverse it. Blankly, the Gerudo released her.

But she didn't move. Instead Anya voiced calmly but loudly, "Golden Power of the Goddesses, I beseech you. Hear my desire: I wish for the king of this land, who departed this world not long ago, to live again."

There were no flashy spectacles. The Triforce remained in its place for a few seconds and then began to rise back into the heavens.

It was silent, until Ganon began to laugh again. And this time his laughter was just insane. There wasn't even a hint of the haughty and condescending tones from before, it was just insanity. He looked at Anya with hate and said with a maniacal grin, "Wish all you want, that won't stop me! I'll just re-summon the Triforce with that sta-"

Once again, the Gerudo was cut off because he was interrupted as he turned. But this time, it wasn't just because of a shocking sight. To go with the unbelievable sight was an unbelievable occurrence.

Zelda was standing up straight, arms held out as if she had been holding a bow.

A Light Arrow was sticking out from Ganon's chest.

Link charged and thrust the Master Sword into where the Arrow was.

The Gerudo simply looked at the ones who had caused his death, for knew he would not live. In his mind he cursed them, because he could not find the energy to verbalize it as he feel to the ground with a thud.

Ganondorf Dragmire, King the Gerudo, was dead.

* * *

HO SNAP. I have to say... I've never written the end of Ganon quite like this before... But I don't mind because there was a significant lack of action which I do not mind at all. I hate writing fight scenes.

Anyways, save your questions for the end, because everything will be explained in the last chapter, 50. You won't have to wait long for that, that'll be tomorrow. Well, tomorrow night because I have school tomorrow. D: But still, it will be out tomorrow so never fear!


	50. Farewell

And now... dun, dun, DUN - the LAST chapter.

The end of the first half of this chapter is kind of raunchy, but I'll talk more about that at the end. XD

* * *

The day after the death Dragmire was chaotic. The castle had already been dealing with the events from the previous night, trying to get all the details down, and now they had to deal with crazy stories, four injured persons – two of which were in grave condition – and the king's miraculous revival that no one could explain.

The second day, was even more chaotic than the first. Link and Zelda, now having permission to walk around from the doctors, each had their own trials to deal with. Link, despite his part in defeating Ganon, was being court-martialed for an extended leave which he didn't have permission for, and Zelda was to see the king.

For Zelda, meeting the king, her father, was very nerve wracking. She still had abandonment issues, and wasn't sure how she and the kind would receive each other. That and the fact that meeting him meant that she would no longer be Zelda the witch, but Zelda the princess. She wasn't quite sure if she was ready for such a transition, especially she didn't know the first thing about being a princess.

The reunion was teary and angry, but in the end Zelda heard the king out. While her abandonment issues hadn't been completely resolved, she was willing to accept and forgive her father… As for whether she would be able call him "father" in the future, even she didn't know.

The third day after Dragmire's death was less chaotic than the first two, but still much more chaotic than either Zelda or Link would've liked. Those who saw them always bombarded them questions about what happened, who else was with them, if there was really a star in the castle, if Anya really had anything to do with the situation, and so on. And that was all interfering with their attempt to go visit the star.

When they did manage to sneak their way to Vega's room, they saw the star was barely recognizable. And that just made them laugh.

"Yeah, yeah, keep laughing." Snapped the star, who now bore a resemblance to a mummy with all of bandages wrapped around him. He had mumbled something about "bandage happy buggers…" before insisting that he was just fine and could take more damage than a human could. "So, found time in your busy schedules to visit? Took you long enough, these quacks aren't letting me do anything!"

"Sorry," Zelda shrugged. "Everyone wants to know what happened and the political ramifications…"

"The Gerudo are going to crazy." Link said with a grimace.

"Lovely," Vega said bitterly; he wondered briefly if Nabooru was going to return or not. He sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "So, what are you two up to?"

"They court-martialed me for extended leave without permission." Link didn't try to hide the irritation. "Suspended for two weeks without pay – not that they give pages much anyways but…"

"You'd think the whole saving the country thing would mean a bit more." Vega agreed. "And you, ducky?"

She twiddled her fingers and bit her lip before saying, "I met my… my father yesterday."

"Oh…" Vega said. Not wishing to force her to continue he changed the subject. "So everyone has been asking you two what happened? What about that woman with the poker face?"

"Anya?" Link asked. He shrugged and continued, "She's been keeping to herself. Hasn't said much of anything and always looking lost in thought or something. Women…"

Zelda ignored the last part as another question arose in her mind. It probably would've been better asked the night they had defeated Ganon, but it had just never occurred to them at the time. "How did Anya get us? I mean, I know how but why?"

The silvertop answered, "When you two decided that I wasn't good enough to join the club I ran into her. That Sheikah apparently was carted off by some medics and she decided to follow you two. She was kind of the reason I came rushing back, really. I did tell her that it would be better if she didn't interfere. She hit me, but I suppose she did know she wouldn't be much in a fight."

"We were lucky she knew when to show up, though." Zelda put in. "We might all be dead if it wasn't for her."

Link reluctantly put in an "I suppose…"

It was then the star noticed that the suspended page still had something around his neck. With a sigh he looked at Zelda, "Are you ever going to rid of that blasted collar, ducky? That can't be good for him in the long run."

She looked at the collar and then put a hand to her mouth in surprise. "Oh! I completely forgot about that!"

"Damn, I did too…" Link said as glanced down, trying to eye the collar.

"Let me get rid of it now," Zelda said, immediately putting her hands on the collar.

The page blushed and averted his eyes somewhere else. Vega, on the other hand, was watching on with interest. An evil little thought had been seeded in his mind as he watched, which quickly grew into an evil little idea, which put an evil little grin on his face, before he slowly crept to the edge of his bed and kicked Link's chair.

The kick caused quite the series of events. Link stumped off of his chair, taking Zelda with him and then knocking her off of her own chair. As the two fell, their lips had met and both had landed in quite the compromising position. It took them a few seconds after they had fallen to the floor before they realized their lips still hadn't parted. Blushing madly, both sat up and looked away from each other. It didn't matter way, they just couldn't face each other. All the while, Vega was cackling evilly while only saying, "Oh my, how terribly clumsy of me."

"You did that on purpose!" Zelda screeched.

Vega seemed very satisfied with himself. "So what if I did? Are you two going to tell me that you didn't enjoy it?"

Both page and witch flushed again, trying to speak but with no understandable words coming out. Vega just laughed at their embarrassment. Seeing that what was done was done, both adolescents just propped up their chairs. This time, however, Link to his chair around to the other side of Vega's bed to avoid any other mishaps that the star's "clumsiness" might cause.

Seeing his fun was ruined, Vega was reminded of another's fun who was probably ruined. "What happened to your uncle, git?"

The serious atmosphere had returned to the room as Link's expression went grim. "He'll live but the doctors said his arm probably won't work anymore. He's not very happy."

"Why not? He's alive, isn't he?" Zelda asked.

"His arm's useless, Zelda. Have you ever heard of a one-armed Sheikah?" He told her sternly.

She hadn't.

And that was because there was no such thing as a one-armed Sheikah. In the ranks of a Sheikah, one needed to have all their limbs and, most importantly, they all needed to work. A Sheikah who lost a limb or had a limb rendered useless was promptly put up for retirement.

And Eugen was no exception.

Given time all his other wounds would heal, but the arm that Dragmire had shattered wouldn't. His arm was to forever be in a sling and that caused the small man to spend the past three days within his rooms sulking. Being a Sheikah was all he had ever truly known… and now he was just a Province Holder. He wouldn't even be relaying information to the Sheikah; they would station someone else, probably a secretary or some such, to be the intelligence gatherer.

As he stared out his window from his bed, looking at nothing in particular - not that he could see what was out there anyways – the realization that he would be nothing more than a government official came down on him again. He hated it.

A knock came at his door. He ignored it but the one who knocked came in anyways. His senses told him it was Anya, and that just made his bad mood worse.

"What are you doing here?" He hissed.

The woman smiled enigmatically. "Just here to visit. No one's heard much from you since they brought you back."

"And what makes you think I would speak to a slut like you about anything?" He said coldly.

She frowned as she took a seat by him. "You should be nicer to someone who's come to visit you out of the kindness of their heart. I didn't have to come you know."

Eugen said nothing.

"I'm quitting." Anya said.

"At least you're doing it willingly." The child-like man said bitterly. "Any particular reason why you've decided to quit."

"I had only become a Province Holder to get be closer to Quinn. Now that he's gone, there's no point." She said sadly.

The former Sheikah growled in frustration and then spat, "Quinn, Quinn, Quinn! Every other word out of your annoying mouth is 'Quinn'! Why don't you just go join him already?!"

To Anya, Eugen's words had been a slap in the face. It was true that she had seriously contemplated suicide, but she had decided that going through it wouldn't be right. After all, Quinn would more than a little angry at her if she had killed herself for his sake. That and suicide was a coward's way out. She was a big girl, and as much as Quinn's death grieved her, she knew she had to move on. Suicide would just be giving up, and she refused to just give up.

So to respond to Eugen's metaphorical slap in the face, she literally slapped Eugen in the face.

"You… you just _hit_ me!" Eugen said, outraged. "You _bitch_!" So, with his good arm, he slapped her back.

And so Anya slapped him, and then he slapped her, to which she punched him, to which he punched her, to which she threw herself on top of him. From there, anger fueled kissing ensued, then anger fueled tearing of each other's clothes, and then angry sex.

It was perhaps when the deed was done that they realized what had happened and weren't quite sure what to make of it.

"I can't believe that I just did it with a whore."

"And I can't believe that I just did it with a man who looks like a child."

Silence.

"Wanna do it again?"

* * *

In the years that followed, Zant had eventually left the castle saying he would much rather take abuse from his queen than anymore humans. Anya, as she had said, resigned from the position of Eldin Province Holder and eventually engaged in a dysfunctional marriage with Eugen, whose arm had somehow made a miraculous recovery.

The king remained in perfect health and still ruled. Zelda was eventually introduced to the people as the princess and Link was made her personal bodyguard. The rumor that the princess and her bodyguard were romantically involved was later confirmed to be true.

And Vega had remained in Hyrule, in the castle with Link and Zelda. He had been given the post of "representative of the heavens" and spent most of his days with his two younger friends. And contrary to what he had foreseen for himself, his original prettiness came back complete with his long hair. But as the days went by, the star returned to his nocturnal nature and spent most of his nights outside looking at the sky.

Both had a feeling they knew why, and the feeling was later confirmed when both she and Link got notes from the star saying, "Meet me just outside of Castle Town, South Gate, at dusk. Pack for a month; I told the king already."

Zelda donned her witch's traveling clothes and Link his old page outfit. They packed only what they deemed necessary and at dusk, went to the South Gate. Vega waited for them with an unreadable smile on his face.

"Let's go for a ride." Said the star, cocking his head to the side where three horses were tethered nearby.

The two frowned, but asked no questions. They knew what was happening.

The route they took backtracked the way they had traveled when they first met,, except instead of going through the Lost Woods, they went the long way. They went around the Woods, past Lon Lon Ranch, and past Kakariko Village. It was a clear night when they had reached their destination. A full moon and bright stars was all the light they needed to see where they had arrived.

It was a grassy crater. Scattered all around the crater were goats, eyeing the newcomers warily but not moving away.

Vega dismounted and stood at the age of the crater. They followed suit.

"I landed here."

They said nothing.

"And I punched a goat."

"You punched a goat?" Link asked.

The star chuckled and nodded. "It tried to eat my hair… I feel kind of bad for it now."

"You're going to leave." Zelda said sadly.

The silvertop looked back at them sadly. "Yeah. Earth's a nice place but… I don't belong here."

The two just looked at Vega, not sure what to say.

"When it comes down to it, brown eyes or no, I'm still a star being. As much as I may come to like a place, I still belong up there." He sighed as he gazed up at the sky. "And I do miss Estrella terribly."

"But you never granted any wishes." Zelda pointed out.

"Ah, actually…" The star began sheepishly as he looked back at the two again.

"My uncle…" Link sighed. "Miraculous recovery my ass…"

There was silence again.

"Link. Zelda." Both became increasingly alarmed at the mention of their names. Vega had never addressed them by their actual names in front of them. And it was then they noticed that the playful spark that the star usually had was gone. He was perfectly serious. "You are my first friends. I'll never forget that." The playful spark returned with a smirk. "So remember that I'll be watching you two."

They smiled broadly, sad as they were. Zelda hugged Vega tightly enough so that he had to pry her off. She was getting teary but still remained smiling. Link then stepped up and the star and bodyguard shook hands.

After another silence, the couple stepped back and the star saluted them. "Thanks for everything and best of the heavens to you." He said cheerily. Vega then looked up to the sky and muttered a warning to his brethren under his breath with a very satisfied smirk. He jumped, and in the middle of his jump his speed increased so that he was nothing more than a blur silver-blue light only leaving stardust behind.

"We'll never forget you either, Vega!" Zelda cried out as both she and Link watched as the line of light sped up into the sky.

In patch of sky devoid of stars, the original one that had vanished finally returned.

Link laughed a bit as he saw that. "What do you know…"

"What?" Zelda asked.

"Vega actually was the star called Vega!"

Zelda smiled and took Link's hand. They kept looking up at the sky for a while longer, until they had the feeling that Vega was telling them from way up there, "Don't you know it's rude to stare?"

* * *

Ah... wow. The end. DAMN. That really went on longer than I thought. Here I was thinking I'd do a 30 chapter story. Lies that was. By 20 chapters. DX

Anyways, yup. Anya and Eugen get together. Originally it wasn't going to be that fast but... it just kind of ended up that way (like a lot of this story D: ). At the same, it seems so fitting for them. XD In fact, these two are so dysfunctional I really think they're the perfect couple. I think may have just become my OTP - and hopefully my saying that doesn't cause pairing wars D:

For those of you that are curious, I have two Zelda fanfics already in the works now. The first is _Aku no Musume_, the second is a remake of my old story, _Return of Evil_. If you want to know more about them, my profile's got it all. I have no idea which will be coming out first or when, but keep an eye out.

So now is the part where I usually thank all my reviewers, so THANK YOU! Especially you, my religious reviewers! You all wins the internet and I love you long tiem. :D Thank you all for reading this and I hope you enjoyed it! And if you didn't... Um... then why are you here? ANYWAYS, thanks for everything guys! I probably wouldn't even write with fanfics without your encouragement, and it means a lot to know people enjoy reading the stories.

So see you all next time, whenever that may be! ;)


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